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ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 


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ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

AN  ACCOUNT   OF    THE    FIBST   MISSION 

SENT  BY  THE  AMEBICAN  GOVEBNMENT 

TO  THE  COUBT  OF  THE  KING  OF  KINGS 

{1903—1904) 


BT 


EGBERT  P.   SKINNER 

Commissioner  to  Abyssinia,  1903-04 ;  American  Consul-general  ;  Fellow  of 
THB  American  Geographical  Society  ;   Soci  dou  Fblibrigb 


NEW  YORK 

LONGMANS,     GEEEN     &    CO. 

LONDON :  EDWARD  ARNOLD 

1906 


college 
Library 


IN   MEMORY   OF   THE   WINTEB  OP   1903-1904 
THESE   NOTES  ABE   IN8CBIBED   TO 

H.  W.  S. 


PREFACE 

In  the  following  pages  will  be  found  some  account  of 
the  adventures  and  reception  of  the  first  mission  sent 
by  the  American  Government  to  the  land  we  call 
Abyssinia,  but  known  to  the  inhabitants  thereof  as 
Ethiopia,  together  with  an  explanation  of  some  of 
the  social  and  political  conditions  there  prevailing, 
and  of  which  little  is  accurately  understood.  Abys- 
sinia is  merely  a  fragment  of  the  ancient  empire  of 
Ethiopia  ;  but  whether  the  name  by  which  we  know 
it  is  derived  from  Habesch,  son  of  the  founder  of  the 
people,  or  the  old  Egyptian  word  *  abissi,'  signifying 
'  desert-surrounded  nation,'  or  from  the  Arabic  word 
*  habesca,'  meaning  '  without  ancestors,'  no  one  knows. 
We  do  know  that  the  Abyssinians,  not  ordinarily  given 
to  the  study  of  etymology,  and  resentful  of  the  irony 
with  which  that  word  passes  through  Moslem  lips, 
have  abandoned  it  in  favour  of  the  nobler  designation 
of  '  Ethiopian.'  To  this  word  they  have  every 
historical  and  racial  right. 

The  time  at  my  disposal  (I  believe  that  the  speed 
with  which  our  party  crossed  the  country,  transacted 
its  business,  and  returned,  is  still  a  matter  of  wonder- 
ment   in    Ethiopia)   and   my   work   as   chief   of   the 

vii 


viii  PREFACE 

mission  prevented  me  from  undertaking  any  ex- 
haustive studies  while  in  the  Emperor's  dominions. 
The  opportunity  for  fruitful  historical,  and  linguistic 
research  is  a  most  tempting  one,  however,  and  this 
I  hope  may  some  day  be  undertaken.  We  devote 
millions  to  the  uncovering  of  ancient  cities  dead,  and 
we  neglect  an  ancient  civilization  living,  a  civilization 
which  found  its  inspiration  in  Solomon's  Court,  and 
which,  preserving  its  Christian  faith  through  1,600 
years,  and  during  many  centuries  cut  off  from  all 
contact  with  the  outside  world,  hands  itself  down  to 
us  in  all  essential  respects  identical  with  that  which 
prevailed  in  Bethlehem  2,000  years  ago. 

We  boast  of  our  own  Christian  civilization,  and  we 
are  imdertaking  with  our  railroads  and  other  Western 
inventions  to  break  down  a  civilization  virtually  like 
that  in  which  Christ  Himself  lived  and  moved ;  we 
boast  of  our  law,  and  we  send  our  agents  to  teach  a 
land  in  which  judges  administer  justice  based  upon 
precepts  of  the  open  Bible  in  their  hand.  Returning 
travellers  have  usually  come  back  with  grotesque 
tales,  and  in  their  own  amusement  have  commonly 
forgotten  the  vital  facts  in  regard  to  this  interesting 
people  of  Caucasian  ancestry.  I  trust  that  the  earnest 
student  will  not  be  too  late,  for  when  steam  has 
replaced  the  camel  and  the  mule,  the  old  Ethiopia 
will  have  passed  away  for  ever. 

For  my  part,  I  bring  back  only  pleasant  memories 
of  a  kind  and  light-hearted  race,  whose  grave  courtesy 
and  sometimes  affection  I  am  not  likely  ever  to  forget. 
I  rejoice  over  the  fact  that  I  took  to  these  people  from 
a  great  Government  a  message  of  goodwill,  imem- 


PREFACE  ix 

bittered  by  a  single  ungenerous  thouglit,  and  that  I 
liad  nothing  to  ask  which  they  might  not  willingly 
grant. 

The  project  of  sending  an  American  mission  to 
Ethiopia  was  originally  laid  before  President  McKinley 
by  myself  in  1900.  The  matter  received  consideration, 
and  in  1903  President  Roosevelt  commissioned  me 
to  negotiate  a  needed  commercial  treaty  with  the 
Emperor  Menelik's  Government.  The  President  mani- 
fested a  gratifying  and  very  encouraging  interest  in 
all  that  concerned  the  expedition,  and  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  State  every  possible  assistance  was  given  in 
furthering  the  organization  of  the  party.  From  the 
Assistant-Secretary,  then  Acting-Secretary  of  State, 
Mr.  Francis  B.  Loomis,  I  received,  not  merely  the 
ojfficial  instructions  which  were  to  have  been  expected, 
but  active  and  sympathetic  co-operation  in  a  dozen 
practical  details  which  had  to  be  considered  in  pre- 
paring an  expedition  for  the  heart  of  Africa,  where  we 
had  no  official  or  unofficial  representatives,  no  point 
of  contact  or  source  of  original  information  what- 
ever. 

For  the  sake  of  historical  accuracy  I  may  add  that 
the  Commissioner,  the  surgeon,  Dr.  Pease,  and  the 
secretary,  Mr.  Wales,  sailed  together  from  New  York 
on  October  8,  1903,  joined  the  U.S.  s.s.  Machias  at 
Naples,  and  thence  proceeded  to  Beirut,  where 
Admiral  Cotton's  squadron  was  then  protecting 
American  interests.  At  this  point  a  guard  of  marines 
was  taken  on  board,  officered  by  Lieutenant  C.  L. 
Hussey,  U.S.N.,  who  had  preceded  us  to  Djibouti, 
and  Captain   George   Thorpe,   U.S.M.C,  who   sailed 


X  PBEFACE 

with  us.     From  Beirut  the  Macldas  sailed  directly  to 
Djibouti. 

My  great  regret  is  that  I  dare  not  undertake  to 
thank  the  many  who,  in  Ethiopia  and  out  of  it,  were 
useful  to  me  in  many  ways  ;  but  at  least  I  may  single 
out  my  oflficial  superiors  in  Washington  and  the 
members  of  my  staff,  whose  companionship,  beginning 
in  New  York  and  continuing  until  our  separation  in 
Aden,  is  one  of  the  happy  and  imperishable  souvenirs 
of  our  long  journey  together. 

R.  P.  S. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEE  I 

PAGES 

Arrival  at  Djibouti — French  creative   skill — Atto  Joseph 

offers  sound  advice — By  rail  across  the  desert  -  -  1 — 8 

CHAPTEE  II 

On  the  edge  of  Ethiopia — Dire-Daouah,  a  *  boom '  city — 
The  American  Horse  Marines  —  Organizing  the 
caravan    ------  9 — 14 

CHAPTEE  III 

On  the  French  road  to  Harrar — Eeception  by  the  Eas 
Makonnen — An  elephant  hunting  party — Back  to  Dir6- 
Daouah    ------  15 — 24 

CHAPTEE  IV 

The  lords  of  the  desert  delay  progress — Sali  the  wicked — 
Hatching  a  conspiracy  —  The  party  of  amity  and 
commerce  threatened  with  war — Preparations  for  a 
midnight  attack  -----  25 — 42 

CHAPTEE  V 

Eoyalty  joins  the  American  party — A  steer  the  measure  of 
greatness — Night  journey  across  Mount  Asabot — The 
only  elephant — A  fantasia  -  -  -  43 — 51 

xi 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTEE  VI 

PAOK8 

The  plains  of  Moant  Fantall^ — Atto  Panlos — The  durgo 

arrives — Hospitality  by  law  -  -  62 — 64 

CHAPTER  VII 

Conferring  an  American  decoration  —  A  province  where 
silver  and  gold  do  not  circulate  —  Foiling  another 
conspiracy  .  -  .  .  .  65 — 72 

CHAPTER  VIII 

We  are  received  by  the  Emperor — The  Abyssinian  band 
plays '  Hail,  Columbia ' — The  palace  of  the  Ras  Oualdo 
Gorghis    .---.-  73—82 

CHAPTER  IX 

The  strenuous  life — Langutige  peculiarities — Official  society 

and  its  charms     -----  83 — 90 

CHAPTER  X 

Ethiopian  politics — Rdles  of  America,  Italy,  France,  Great 
Britain,  and  Russia— The  Ambassadors  of  civilization 
and  their  railroad  ....         91 — 103 

CHAPTER  XI 
The  Ethiopian  problem  ....       104—112 

CHAPTER  XII 

The  Emperor  invites  3,000  friends  to  banquet  with  us — The 
Ethiopian  cuisine — Souvenirs  for  His  Majesty — The 
Emperor  returns  our  call — Testing  Abyssinian  sang- 
froid— The  succession     .  -  -  -        113 — 123 

CHAPTER  XIII 
The  market— Jewellery — Abyssinian  art  and  architecture — 
The  national  costume — A   Haitian     at    the   Court  of 
MeneUk— Ethnology        .  -  -  -       124—132 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  XIV 

PAOE8 

M  anners  and  customs  of  the  desert  races      -  -       133 — 140 

CHAPTER  XV 

The  United  States  of  Abyssinia — The  King  of  Kaffa — The 
evolution  of  Ethiopia  under  MeneUk  —  Property 
rights 141-149 

CHAPTER  XVI 

The  law  of  the  Fetha  Nagast,  or  fundamental  statutes  of 

Ethiopia  ..----       150—161 

CHAPTER  XVII 

The  Abyssinian  Church  —  The  monophysite  doctrine  — 
Language  and  literature  —  The  army  —  Mobility  of 
native  troops        .  .  .  -       162 — 178 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
The  Caucasians  of  Cush         .  .  .  .       179—184 

CHAPTER  XIX 

Trade  and  commerce — Agriculture — The  home  of  coffee — 

Economic  development    .  -  -  -       185 — 197 

CHAPTER  XX 

Our    leave  -  taking  —  Tact    and    consideration     of     the 

Emperor  - 198—205 

CHAPTER  XXI 

The  journey  homeward — Suggestions  in  regard  to  caravan 
organization  — Breaking-up  at  Dir^-Daouah  —  Once 
again  in  Djibouti  -----       206—217 


XIV 


CONTENTS 


APPENDICES 

PAon 

A.  Itinerary  .  .  .  .  .       219—221 

B.  Members  of  the  American  Party       -  -  -    222 

C.  The  Treaty  between  the  United   States  and  the 

Emperor  Menelik    -  -  -  .       223 — 227 


Map    to    Illustrate    the    Route    of    the    American 
Mission  ...... 


XVI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  at  Home        ... 
The  American  Mission    -  -  -  -  - 

First  American  Camp  at  Dire-Daouah  -  -  - 

His  Highness  the  Ras  Makonnen  .  -  _ 

Visit  of  the  Ras  Makonnen  to  the  American  Military 

Camp  .-_..- 

The  Principal  of  the  School  at  Harrar  - 
Our  Palace  at  Harrar     ----- 
View  from  our  Palace  Windows  at  Harrar 
Coffee  Plantations  near  Harrar  -  -  -  - 

Ergotto-Momosa  :   the  Confusion  of  Arrival 
Eleye,  the  King  of  the  Desert    -  -  -  - 

Somali  Bodyguard  .  -  -  -  - 

The  Mission  Secretary  and  Somali  Servant 
Atto  Paulos  and  his  Staff  _  _  -  . 

The  Arrival  of  the  '  Hospitality  '  -  -  - 

Between  Chaffee   Dunsa  and  Baltchi :  our   Caravan 

under  "Way  ------ 

Members  of  the  Escort  ----- 

The  Emperor  and  his  Suite  entering  the  Aderach 

Guns  taken  by  the  Abyssinians  at  Adowa 

American  Party  retiring  from  the  Aderach 

One  of  the  Buildings  of  the  Guebi  -  .  . 

Gentlemen  of  the  Emperor's  Court 

Dinner  to  the  Mission  in  the  Aderach    - 

His  Majesty  at  the  Palace  of  the  Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis  - 

The  Empress  of    Ethiopia   (in   the  centre)   ajid  the 

Emperor's  Grandchild        -  -  -  - 

The  Market  at  Addis -Ababa       -  -  -  - 

An  Ethiopian  Gentleman  .  .  -  _ 

A  Lord  of  the  Desert     -  -  -  -  - 

The  Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis  .... 

Wayside  Church  :  Cross  tipped  with  Ostrich  Eggs 
The  Principal  Church  at  Addis-Ababa  -  -  - 

Dance  of  Ethiopian  Priests        .... 


xy 


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XVI 


ABYSSINIA   OF  TO-DAT 


CHAPTER  I 

Arrival  at  Djibouti — French  creative  skill — Atto  Joseph  offers 
sound  advice — By  rail  across  the  desert. 

Very  curiotis  and  somewhat  nebulous  views  prevailed 
when  the  President's  intention  of  sending  an  official 
mission  to  Ethiopia  was  announced  in  the  summer  of 
1903.  In  the  main,  comment  was  friendly  and  en- 
couraging. It  was  generally  agreed  that  Mr.  Roose- 
velt's Commissioner  ought  to  have  no  difficulty  in 
ensnaring  and  bringing  home  with  him  whatever  of 
Ethiopian  trade  there  might  be  worth  having.  Some 
thought  that  the  principal  purpose  of  this  expedition 
was  to  carry  off  the  Emperor  in  person,  as  a  sort  of 
willing  captive,  to  visit  our  country  and  our  Exposition 
at  St.  Louis.  A  London  newspaper  reported  that  '  big 
ideas  lurked  behind  the  trip,'  and,  upon  the  alleged 
authority  of  one  of  the  Commissioner's  colleagues  at 
Marseilles,  who  was  further  described  as  '  portentously 
silent,'  it  sapiently  observed,  with  reckless  indifference 
to  the  fact  of  there  being  no  Abyssinian  coast,  that 
'  the  establishment  of  a  point  d'appui  on  the  Abys- 
sinian coast  was  not  to  be  left  out  of  consideration.' 
Agitation  was  announced  in  Berlin  as  a  consequence 

1 


2  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

of  the  President's  determination,  but  Paris  was  said 
to  be  unmoved,  beyond  noting,  \vith.  something  like 
sarcasm,  that  *  free  entry '  was  desired  by  the  Com- 
missioner for  presents  of  fabulous  value,  destined  for 
the  Emperor.  Some  thousands  of  papers  were  inspired 
to  say  something,  and  usually  did  it  with  such  kindli- 
ness that  the  Commissioner  set  out  wondering  how  he 
might  possibly  satisfy  the  expectations  so  confidently 
put  forth.  This  is  one  of  the  disadvantages  of  an 
anticipated  success.  Although  our  Government  had 
always  deemed  it  important  to  have  friendly  ofiicial 
relations  with  a  number  of  small  Powers  where  our 
conmierce  is  represented  by  zero,  and  had  had  none 
with  Ethiopia,  where  for  years  we  had  profited  by  a 
flourishing  trade,  nobody  seemed  to  be  astonished  that 
the  work  had  never  been  proposed  before. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  chief  of  the  mission 
found  himself  translated  upon  the  Red  Sea  coast,  and 
become  a  personage  of  mysterious  importance.  And 
as  this  personage  persisted  in  talking  about  cottons, 
tariffs,  and  plain  facts  only  interesting  to  plain  people, 
and  that  in  a  land  where  diplomacy  is  writ  large  and 
wags  its  head  sententiously,  he  became  speedily  even 
more  incomprehensible  than  had  been  at  first  sup- 
posed. The  remark  is  attributed  to  Bismarck  that 
when  he  desired  to  conceal  his  real  purposes  he  found 
the  telling  of  the  whole  truth  the  most  satisfactory 
method,  and  if  the  American  Commissioner  had  had 
anything  to  conceal,  his  experience  would  have  been 
the  same  as  Bismarck's. 

Whatever  people  may  have  thought,  they  were  all 
very  polite  about  it.  It  was  a  politeness  that  began 
when  we  landed  at  Djibouti  on  November  17,  and 
followed  us  until  we  said  good-bye  to  the  land  of  milk 


ARRIVAL  AT  DJIBOUTI  3 

and  honey.  Djibouti,  I  should  begin  by  explaining, 
is  the  capital  of  a  narrow,  sandy  strip  of  territory 
with  the  somewhat  difficult  name  of  the  French 
Somahland  Coast.  The  French  coast  begins  where 
the  Italian  coast  leaves  off,  and  when  it  ends  the 
British  coast  begins.  This,  again,  joins  another  Italian 
coast  colony,  so  that  geographically  Ethiopia  is  as 
effectually  hemmed  in  from  the  sea  as  Switzerland. 

All  of  these  colonies  had  been  organized  in  about 
the  same  way  ;  that  is,  petty  chiefs  in  need  of  funds 
had  sold  such  lands  as  they  held  in  trust  for  their 
people,  thus  giving  to  the  present  occupants  a  per- 
fectly legal  title,  concerning  which  there  can  be  no 
possible  dispute,  while  the  white  man  carries  a 
repeating  rifle  and  the  African  native  a  spear.  These 
colonies  are  all  administered  with  reference  to  the 
needs  and  feelings  of  the  original  inhabitants,  and 
although  occasionally  critical  remarks  may  emanate 
from  countries  without  Red  Sea  colonies,  it  is  just  as 
well  to  recall  that  prior  to  the  present  status  of  affairs 
the  native  tribes  were  constantly  warring  with  each 
other,  and  knew  no  higher  law  than  that  of  force. 

It  is  not  perfectly  well  assured  that  they  appreciate 
any  higher  law  than  that  to-day.  A  very  shrewd  and 
very  able  Governor,  upon  whom  these  tribesmen  look 
as  a  father,  said  to  me  :  *  I  cannot  undertake  to  prevent 
them  from  warring  among  themselves.  They  come 
to  me  and  complain  of  each  other,  and  I  advise  them 
to  stop  fighting  and  to  tend  their  herds,  but  I  know 
that  my  breath  is  wasted.  I  tell  them  that  there  are 
three  things  which  they  must  not  do  :  they  must  not 
interfere  with  the  movement  of  the  railroad  trains  ; 
they  must  not  cut  the  telegraph  wires  or  poles  ;  they 
must  not  murder  the  white  inhabitants  of  the  country. 

1—2 


4  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

These  three  things  they  have  been  taught  not  to  do, 
and  they  keep  the  peace  without  a  European  soldier, 
and  with  a  native  police  force  of  very  modest  pro- 
portions.' 

This  respect  for  the  railroad  was  not  immediately 
obtained.  When  the  rails  were  first  laid  across  the 
desert,  the  sons  of  Islam  looked  upon  the  locomotive 
as  a  beast,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never  seen 
before,  and,  being  brave,  they  occasionally  stood  up 
before  the  monster  and  persisted  in  their  attitude,  just 
to  see  what  would  happen.  And  though  engineers 
were  careful  and  kind,  a  number  of  missing  arms  and 
legs  in  French  Somaliland  testify  to-day  to  the  futility 
of  these  duels  between  man  and  steam.  When  these 
experiences  had  once  been  noised  abroad,  the  Issas 
bowed  to  what  they  believed  to  be  a  law  of  fate, 
and  the  locomotives  circulated  thereafter  with  perfect 
security. 

In  the  case  of  French  Somaliland,  the  Danakil  chiefs, 
and  notably  the  Sultan  Simy,  sold  their  birthright 
for  a  price,  stipulated  and  agreed  upon,  of  10,000 
thalers,  or,  at  the  exchange  rate  of  that  time  (March  11, 
1862),  10,000  dollars.  The  Italian  colony  of  Erythrea 
resulted  from  the  purchase  of  certain  territory 
on  Assab  Bay  by  Florio  Rubattino  and  Company, 
a  firm  of  Genoese  shipowners,  who  there  established 
a  port  of  call  for  their  steamers.  In  1882  the  com- 
pany named  ceded  their  rights  to  the  Italian  Govern- 
ment, and  three  years  later  Rear-Admiral  Caimi  took 
possession,  thus  proclaiming  his  mission  :  *  The  Italian 
Government,  friends  of  England,  of  Turkey,  and  of 
Egypt,  not  less  than  of  Abyssinia,  have  ordered  me  to 
proceed  to  the  occupation  of  Massowah,  which  I  have 
effected  to-day.'      British   Somaliland    is  a   sort    of 


FEENCH  CEEATIVE  SKILL  6 

political  inheritance,  from  an  effective  Egyptian  occu- 
pation dating  from  1874. 

It  was  a  liot  day  when  we  landed  at  Djibouti,  but  it 
was  the  heat  of  mid-November,  which  is  endurable, 
because  it  ceases  when  the  sun  is  low.  In  the  summer 
the  difference  between  day  and  night  is  that  the 
nights  are  the  warmer  of  the  two.  The  booming  of 
our  ship's  guns,  which  regulations  require  to  be  fired 
in  order  to  speed  the  parting  guest,  notified  Djibouti 
that  we  had  arrived,  whereupon  Djibouti  began  to 
dress  itself  in  flags.  Diminutive  Indian  tailors  had 
begun  to  prepare  for  the  event  before  our  coming,  and 
had  produced  numerous  flags,  whereon  the  number  of 
stars  and  stripes  depended  mainly  upon  the  material  in 
hand  or  the  personal  taste  of  the  tailor.  Between  the 
guns,  the  heat,  and  the  flags,  we  might  have  thought  that 
a  4th  of  July  celebration  was  in  progress,  but  for  the 
tame  leopard  which  paraded  before  the  Caf^  de 
rUnivers,  and  the  shiny  black  Somali  children,  whose 
nakedness  was  not  encouraging  to  my  desire  to  find 
a  market  for  American  sheetings.  We  noticed  that 
the  European  inhabitants  walked  slowly  and  on  the 
shady  side  of  the  street,  and  that  everybody  wore 
white  garments  and  white  helmets. 

Djibouti  is  a  monument  to  French  persistence  and 
creative  skill.  It  is  not  my  affair  to  write  about  the 
French  as  colonizers.  Opinions  thereupon  differ. 
But  Djibouti  certainly  is  admirable.  A  few  years 
ago  it  did  not  exist.  Military  necessity  required  that 
a  coaling  port  should  be  created,  and  straightway  it 
was  provided.  Sea-walls  were  constructed,  harbour 
lights  located,  and  the  tricolour  floated  from  a  huge 
and  comfortable  mansion.  Here,  under  a  steadily- 
moving  punkah,  kept  in  motion  by  a  Somali  soldier  in 


6  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

white  headgear,  shaped  like  a  brimless  tall  hat,  the 
Governor  told  me  about  it  as  we  sipped  his  iced 
champagne. 

Let  me  drop  a  word  of  commendation  for  republics 
with  sufficient  regard  for  their  own  dignity  and  the 
comfort  of  their  foreign  administrators  to  provide 
them  with  official  homes.  With  the  public  works 
came  the  railroad,  and  with  it  the  French  man  of 
affairs,  who  erected  houses  of  coral  rock  and  made 
himself  comfortable,  as  the  Frenchman  always  does 
and  always  will.  This  was  the  period  of  the  *  boom,' 
for  the  railroad  work  required  an  army  of  employes, 
temporary  shops,  and  much  else  of  an  ephemeral 
character.  When  the  railroad  had  pushed  its  length 
300  miles  across  the  desert,  Djibouti  resumed  its 
status  as  a  port  of  call  for  numerous  African  steamer 
lines,  and  waited,  as  it  is  still  waiting,  for  the  great 
expected  development  of  Ethiopia,  which  will  make 
the  French  capital  its  natural  point  of  contact  with 
the  modern  world.  Indeed,  it  was  this  expectation, 
and  the  partial  completion  of  the  railroad,  that  took 
me  to  Africa.  Hitherto,  trade  in  general,  and 
American  trade  in  particular,  had  drifted  to  Aden, 
thence  across  to  any  one  of  half  a  dozen  ports, 
where  camels  took  it  up,  and  plodded  into  the  interior. 
The  railroad  meant  evolution  and  revolution ;  it  was 
time  for  a  watchful  people  like  ours  to  be  up  and 
doing. 

Between  checking  up  the  contents  of  niunerous 
black  canvas  bags  and  sundry  boxes,  the  conversion 
of  convenient  French  currency  into  large  and  invari- 
ably dirty  Maria  Theresa  thalers,  and  the  receiving 
and  paying  of  visits  which  pleasure  and  courtesy 
demanded,  the  two  days  in  Djibouti  passed  quickly. 


ATTO  JOSEPH  OFFEES  SOUND  ADVICE     7 

Among  my  first  visitors  was  tlie  Atto  Joseph  de  Galan, 
representative  of  His  Majesty  Menelik  II.  at  Djibouti. 
The  Atto  Joseph  speaks  French  fluently,  has  visited 
Europe,  and  he  gave  me  always  good  advice,  whether 
it  related  to  the  purchase  of  a  mule,  the  selection  of 
an  interpreter,  or  the  usages  of  the  Court. 

'  The  Emperor  wiU  be  glad  to  see  you,'  said  he, 
*  very  glad,  and  when  you  talk  with  him,  as  you  have 
to  me,  you  will  find  in  him  a  friend.  Those  who  have 
visited  my  country  and  have  failed,  have  not  under- 
stood human  nature.  They  have  heard  that  we  are  a 
slow  people,  seldom  ready  to  advance  a  definite  pro- 
position. Therefore,  they  have  been  vague,  and  have 
talked  in  parables.  They  have  heard  that  the  new- 
comer must  be  provided  with  gifts,  and  they  scatter 
their  gifts  to  take  the  place  of  reasons.  Thus  suspicion 
follows  upon  distrust.  But  you  take  the  advice  of  an 
old  man — speak  simply,  speak  plainly,  and  be  sincere. 
Your  ways  are  not  our  ways  ;  we  shall  like  better  to 
see  you  as  you  are  than  to  see  you  trying  to  seem  like 
ourselves.' 

The  advice  of  shrewd  old  Atto  Joseph  reminded  me 
of  the  counsel  which  he  gave  Hugues  le  Roux,  the 
French  writer  and  traveller,  and  which  had  stood  him 
in  good  stead.  '  In  Abyssinia,'  said  Atto  Joseph,  *  do 
everything  in  laughing.'  Very  possibly  the  black 
philosopher's  belief  in  the  efiicacy  of  patience  and 
good-humour  is  quite  as  applicable  in  America  as  it  is 
in  the  land  of  the  tribe  of  Judah. 

Our  experiences  at  Djibouti  ended  in  a  blaze  of 
glory  at  the  '  Government,'  where  an  amiable 
Governor*   and  his   charaiing  wife,   surrounded   by 

*  The  Goveriior-Int6rimaire,  M.  Albert  Dubarry,  received  the 
party  upon  its  arrival  in  Djibouti.     Upon  the  return  of  the 


8  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

the  leading  residents,  made  fete  over  us  in  the  most 
graceful  and  hospitable  manner  possible.  The  next 
morning,  when  the  sun  rose  out  of  the  Indian  Ocean, 
we  said  good-bye  to  Djibouti,  and  set  forth  by  rail  for 
Ethiopia. 

In  a  train  of  French-made  cars,  we  crept  slowly  along 
the  narrow-gauge  track  and  across  the  desert,  remark- 
able only  for  its  brush  and  stones,  the  monotony  of  the 
journey  occasionally  being  broken  by  stops  at  native 
villages.  As  the  day  grew  older  the  landscape  im- 
proved. We  had  now  reached  the  second  plateau, 
and  great  expanses  of  dry  grass  or  forests  of  mimosa- 
trees  replaced  the  debris  of  the  volcanic  age.  Occa- 
sionally groups  of  antelopes  or  graceful  little  *  dig- 
digs  '  would  stop  to  look  at  the  moving  train,  and  then 
walk  leisurely  into  the  '  brousse.'  We  passed  through 
magnificent  grazing  country,  which  evidently  benefited 
by  summer  rains.  Though  called  a  desert,  dry  grass 
three  feet  tall  carpeted  the  soil,  and  furnished  excel- 
lent nourishment  for  niunerous  flocks  and  herds. 
Except  where  torrential  rains  had  made  crevasses  in 
the  rich  soft  earth,  as  the  streams  sought  the  water- 
courses, an  automobile  might  have  been  directed 
aross  the  smooth  and  limitless  plain.  Our  train  was 
comfortable,  quite  up  to  the  usual  European  standard, 
the  cars,  however,  having  double  roofs  as  a  protection 
against  the  sun.  It  was  dark  when  we  arrived  at 
the  present  terminus  of  the  railroad,  308  kilometres 
from  the  coast. 

We  had  reached  the  laud  of  Gush. 


expedition  in  January,  Governor  Bonhourre  had  arrived  from 
France,  and  extended  no  less  hospitable  attentions  than 
M.  Dubarry. 


CHAPTER  n 

On  the  edge  of  Ethiopia — Dir^-Daouah,  a  '  boom  city ' — The 
American  Horse  Marines — Organizing  the  caravan. 

We  had  crossed  tlie  Ethiopian  frontier  some  time 
before  reaching  Dire-Daonah,  but  at  the  town  named 
we  first  encountered  the  outward  and  visible  sign  of 
the  orderly  administration  of  him  who  signs  himself 
'The  Lion  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah  has  conquered. 
Menelik  II.,  by  the  grace  of  God  King  of  Kings  of 
Ethiopia.'  The  Somali  railway  guards  were  drawn 
up  at  attention  to  receive  us,  M.  Pierre  Carette 
presented  the  compliments  of  the  railway  manage- 
ment, and  from  many  of  those  who  afterwards  became 
our  good  friends  we  received  the  warm  welcome  that 
goes  out  to  the  stranger  always  from  every  Ethiopian, 
whether  his  skin  be  white  or  black. 

It  was  too  dark  to  see  the  evidences  of  the  rapid 
growth  and  prosperity  of  this  queen  city  of  the  desert, 
created  within  a  twelvemonth — a  *  boom  city,'  as  we 
should  say  in  America.  We  knew,  however,  that  we 
had  left  behind  the  blazing,  trackless  desert.  An 
invigorating  breeze  came  down  from  the  Harari 
mountains,  and  the  evening  air  was  cool.  Across 
the  street  from  the  railway-station  was  the  new  hotel, 
and  thither  we  walked  between  two   rows   of    un- 

9 


10  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

dressed,  amiable  savages,  who  gazed  upon  us  witli 
expressions  of  mingled  curiosity  and  disdain. 

There  was  good  cheer  in  the  H6tel  P^tiaux  that 
night.  The  next  day  the  task  of  organizing  an 
expedition  began  in  earnest.  If  in  no  other  respect, 
this  expedition  of  ours  was  remarkable  in  that  it  had 
started  off  in  a  ship  of  State  to  visit  a  country  without 
a  seaport,  and,  aside  from  the  Commissioner  and  his 
staflF,  consisted  of  marines  and  bluejackets,  who  were 
immediately  mounted  upon  mides.  Our  party  con- 
sisted of  thirty  Americans,  later  reduced  to  twenty- 
eight,  of  whom  five  were  officers,  seventeen  members 
of  the  United  States  Marine  Corps,  five  enlisted  men 
of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  one  messenger.  Every 
enlisted  man  had  volunteered  to  go,  and  from  the  day 
the  party  left  Dir^-Daouah  until  we  said  good-bye  to 
Abyssinia  they  gave  me  no  anxiety  and  much  satis- 
faction. They  made  friends  of  the  children  of  the 
desert  and  admirers  of  the  Abyssinians.  The  Emperor 
himself  visited  their  encampment,  and  found  more 
pleasure  in  watching  Private  Rossell  exhibiting  the 
mechanism  of  a  service  rifle  than  in  any  other  external 
feature  of  the  American  invasion.  The  soldiers  were 
idolized  by  our  native  servants,  who  imitated  their 
ways,  endeavoured  to  cock  their  old  soft  hats,  when 
they  had  any,  in  the  rakish  manner  of  the  marines, 
proudly  wore  their  cast-off  garments,  and  wept  when 
they  were  separated.  Lean,  long-limbed,  light-hearted, 
kind  in  thought  and  polite  in  action,  the  American 
soldiers  worthily  wore  the  uniform  of  their  country. 

Our  first  camp  was  made  upon  the  following  morn- 
ing, although  the  officers  continued  to  reside  at  the 
hotel  during  our  stay  in  Dir^-Daouah.  We  had  in 
the  first  place  to  select  and  take  charge  of  the  mules 


DIE6-DA0UAH  11 

which,  had  been  purchased  for  our  account.  The 
commander  of  the  naval  contingent,  Lieutenant 
Hussey,  had  preceded  the  party  in  the  country  by 
a  number  of  weeks,  in  order  to  purchase  these  animals 
and  to  make  contracts  for  transportation.  The  mules 
had  been  well  selected  ;  but  mules  will  be  mules,  and 
when  Jack  Tar  took  his  first  lesson  in  riding  there 
was  excitement  in  Dir^  -  Daouab.  The  Issas  and 
Gourgouras  poured  out  of  their  native  village  to  see 
the  sight,  squatting  on  their  haunches  in  the  sun,  and 
impassively  brushing  their  teeth  with  the  ends  of 
green  twigs  as  they  did  so. 

These  mules  had  cost  anywhere  from  seventeen  to 
fiity  dollars  gold.  We  had  arrived  in  the  midst  of 
active  preparations  for  the  campaign  against  the  Mad 
MuUah,  then  giving  the  English  so  much  trouble  in 
British  Somaliland.  The  Mad  Mullah  had  written  an 
insolent  letter  to  the  Ras  Makonnen,  Governor  of  the 
province  of  Harrar,  and  habitat  of  a  large  Musul- 
man  population.  He  had  threatened  to  advance  on 
Harrar  within  three  months,  and  therefore  an  army 
had  been  organized  to  co-operate  with  the  British,  or 
at  least  to  prevent  the  Mullah  from  crossing  the 
border.  A  number  of  young  British  officers  were 
participating  in  the  military  work,  and  had  been 
buying  mules  at  elevated  prices,  which  were  promptly 
applied  to  our  own  purchases  also.  My  own  particular 
mule,  or  one  of  them,  had  been  bought  for  150  thalers, 
with  a  pledge  from  the  owner,  who  shed  tears  when 
he  parted  from  this  paragon,  to  buy  it  back,  if  still 
sound,  at  the  close  of  the  expedition  for  100  thalers. 
The  mule  returned,  sound,  fat,  and  unscarred,  but  the 
seller  had  disappeared,  whereupon  my  aristocratic 
mount  was  disposed  of  for    60   thalers  —  an   unim- 


12  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

portant  incident,  illustrating  that  a  horse  trade  is  a 
horse  trade  the  world  over. 

Finally,  we  had  three  worthy  Somali  soldiers,  who 
joined  us  after  our  return  from  Harrar,  chosen  by  the 
Ras  Makonnen,  and  whose  general  instructions  were 
to  keep  us  on  the  right  trail  across  the  desert,  and  aid 
us  in  our  relations  with  the  various  tribesmen  we  were 
sure  to  encounter. 

The  mules  distributed  and  the  saddles  adjusted, 
applications  for  service  were  taken  up  from  an  army 
of  youths  who,  attracted  by  the  announced  arrival  of 
our  party,  had  gathered  like  flies  around  a  honey-pot, 
eager  to  take  employment  at  only  twice  the  normal 
rate  of  pay.  Each  applicant  bore  a  certificate  from  a 
former  employer,  and  bound  himself  to  work  at  a 
wage  rate  of  four  dollars  gold  per  month,  food  to  be 
found,  or  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  about  six  cents  a  day, 
with  such  *  gratification  '  at  the  end  of  the  journey  as 
merit  might  justify.  It  was  necessary  that  each  officer 
should  possess  a  tent-boy  and  mule-boy,  and  there  had 
to  be  a  considerable  number  of  similar  boys  to  perform 
miscellaneous  duties  for  the  enlisted  men.  When  our 
party  disbanded,  some  of  our  servants  were  employing 
servants  of  their  own,  and  I  siippose  that  if  we  had 
remained  long  enough  these  servants  of  servants 
would  have  been  doing  the  same  thing. 

I  had  already  found  an  interpreter  at  Djibouti, 
young  Oualdo  son  of  Mikael,  a  youth  who  had  served 
M.  Comboul,  a  French  engineer,  in  a  similar  capacity. 
With  M.  Comboul  he  had  travelled  throughout  the 
empire,  seeking  traces  of  mineral  wealth.  Upon  the 
death  of  his  employer  a  year  before  our  coming  he 
had  carefully  preserved  his  papers,  and  had  just 
returned  from  France,  where  he  had  been  to  deliver 


OBGANIZING  THE  CABAVAN  13 

them  to  tlie  family.  Tlie  lad  spoke  French  fluently, 
and  half  a  dozen  of  the  local  languages.  He  possessed 
many  admirable  qualities,  not  the  least  of  which  was 
loyalty.  He  was  a  handsome  little  fellow,  with  the 
splendid  white  teeth  which  the  Ethiopian  always  has, 
a  shiny  black  face,  and  bead-like  eyes.  He  was  an 
excellent  horseman  and  a  good  shot,  and  whether  he 
wore  his  fresh  khaki  suit  and  riding  leggings,  as  he  did 
in  the  European  settlements,  or  his  snow-white  chamma, 
as  he  did  at  the  capital,  he  made  a  smart  appearance. 

I  also  employed  one  Gabro  Tadick — or,  reduced 
to  English,  '  Slave  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  The  '  Slave  of 
the  Holy  Ghost '  was  of  wistful  countenance,  wore  a 
pair  of  blue  overalls,  a  huge  hat,  and  a  red  bordered 
chamma.  He  also  carried  a  gun.  The  possession  of 
the  gun  indicated  his  superiority  over  the  other 
servants.  He  aspired  to  a  servant  to  carry  the  gun, 
for  no  Abyssinian  gentleman  moves  without  both  gun 
and  servant,  and  the  more  of  each  the  greater  is  the 
degree  of  distinction.  All  servants  were  to  go  on  foot 
to  the  capital. 

Gabro  Tadick  developed  a  most  extraordinary 
capacity  to  contract  stomach-ache  as  soon  as  he  had 
left  civilization  so  far  behind  that  his  return  was  out 
of  the  question.  Under  these  circumstances  he  pro- 
duced a  mule,  which,  unknown  to  me,  had  never- 
theless attached  itself  to  our  caravan,  and  with 
similar  promptness  he  found  in  our  party  an  un- 
attached servant,  by  name  Debalchi,  who  carried  his 
gim  and  discharged  most  of  his  duties.  Eventually 
our  caravan  passed  through  Gabro  Tadick's  home, 
whereupon  he  resigned,  being  succeeded  by  Debalchi. 
Gabro  was  a  worthy  youth,  and  we  parted  with  ex- 
pressions of  mutual  regard — ^but  we  parted. 


14  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Upon  the  whole  our  serv^ants  turned  out  to  be  a  faith- 
ful and  efficient,  though  variegated,  lot  of  boys — partly 
Abyssinians  and  partly  Somalis,  the  presence  of  the 
two  races  and  the  two  reb'gions  stimulating  the  repre- 
sentatives of  each.  There  were  disadvantages,  how- 
ever, about  the  variety,  since  the  Somali  boy  could  not 
eat  meat  which  had  been  killed  by  the  infidel,  and  the 
Christian  certainly  could  not  be  expected  to  eat  meat 
killed  by  the  Moslem.  As  goats  and  sheep  could  not 
always  be  smnmoned  at  will,  our  domestics'  fidelitj''  to 
religious  duty  involved  us  in  frequent  difficulties. 

The  shortest  and  in  some  respects  the  best  route 
from  Dir^-Daouah  to  the  capital,  Addis-Ababa,  follows 
along  the  base  of  the  mountains,  across  Mount  Asabot, 
usually  in  sight  of  the  true  desert,  yet  never  quite 
upon  it.  This  route  is  approximately  that  selected  for 
the  projected  railroad  line,  and  is  practicable  for 
camels.  Usually  the  camel  caravan  conductors  prefer 
to  diverge  from  the  mountains,  leaving  Mount  Asabot 
to  the  left,  in  order  to  cross  the  great  desert.  Both 
routes  from  Dir^-Daouah  leave  Harrar,  the  chief  com- 
mercial city  of  the  empire,  well  off  to  the  south.  A 
third  route,  longer  but  more  beautiful,  and  passing 
through  an  orderly  and  civilized  population,  takes  one 
from  Dir^-Daouah  to  Harrar  by  a  circuitous  mountain 
road,  just  completed,  and  thence  across  the  mountains 
to  Addis-Ababa.  Mules  only  can  be  used  upon  this 
route.  As  contracts  for  transportation  had  been  made 
before  our  arrival,  involving  the  use  of  camels,  the 
mountain  route  could  not  be  considered  in  connection 
with  our  party.  Desiring,  however,  to  visit  the  Ras 
Makonnen,  with  whom  I  had  been  in  correspondence, 
a  preliminary  side  trip  was  made  to  Harrar  and  back 
again  to  Dir^-Daouah  before  the  real  pilgrimage  began. 


CHAPTER  III 

On  the  French  road  to  Harrar — Reception  by  the  Ras  Makonnen 
— An  elephant  hunting-party — Back  to  Dire-Daouah. 

With  sensations  of  pleasurable  excitement  we  heard 
tlie  bugle-call  at  four  o'clock  upon  tbe  morning  of  our 
special  trip  to  Harrar.  The  camels  charged  with  the 
more  important  of  our  supplies  had  been  sent  out  the 
day  before,  in  order  that  they  might  certainly  arrive 
with  us  ;  the  tents  were  to  follow.  With  all  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  novice,  our  small  company  set  out 
at  a  lively  canter  along  the  excellent  French  road. 
Higher  and  higher  we  climbed  among  mountains  as 
green  as  those  of  Tyrol.  Brilliantly  coloured  birds 
flew  about  us,  and  upon  one  or  two  occasions  we 
passed  whole  villages  of  monkeys.  We  could  now 
look  down  upon  the  lowlands  and  desert  spread  out 
below  us,  and  upon  the  real  Abyssinia  in  its  strong- 
holds above  us  and  beyond  us. 

For  the  sake  of  clearness,  let  me  now  dispel  the 
usual  thought  that  all  Abyssinia  is  occupied  by  the 
Abyssinians.  The  empire  ruled  over  by  the  great 
Negus  Menelik  consists  of  a  vast  extent  of  territory, 
including  numerous  clearly-defined  races,  which  are 
as  distinctly  different  from  the  Etliiopian  as  is  the 
Tartar  from  the  Mongolian.  The  Abyssinia  that  has 
never  been  conquered  consists  of  a  series  of  moun- 

15 


16  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

tainous  highlands  comprising  a  sort  of  confederation 
of  the  smaller  kingdoms  of  God  jam,  Tigrd,  Amhara, 
and  Choa.  Under  the  strong  direction  of  its  present 
ruler,  this  confederacy  has  become  in  practice  an 
autocracy.  The  dominant  race  occupying  these  high- 
lands, which  was  driven  back  from  the  sea  centuries 
ago,  has  renewed  its  vigour,  and  in  recent  years  has 
acquired  control  of  the  province  of  Harrar  and  other 
surrounding  provinces,  the  most  of  which  are  occupied 
by  barbarous  tribes,  perpetually  desiring  to  wage  war 
against  each  other,  but  held  in  restraint  by  a  whole- 
some fear  of  the  wise  man  at  Addis-Ababa.  The 
Abyssinian,  properly  speaking,  is  an  orderly  and 
peaceful  personage,  even  though  he  is  professionally  a 
warrior ;  he  is  not  fond  of  work,  but  is  capable  of 
obtaining  work  from  others. 

We  were  now  entering  the  land  of  the  Gallas, 
who  share  the  hill  country  around  Harrar  with  the 
Ethiopians.  The  Gallas  are  a  conquered  race  of 
excellent  intelligence,  and  they  are  industrious  farmers 
and  safe  citizens.  When  the  fine  new  highway  was 
projected  between  Dir^-Daouah  and  Harrar,  it  became 
necessary  to  condemn  the  land  required  for  its  con- 
struction. The  Gallas  waited  upon  the  Ras  Makonnen, 
their  Governor.  Their  farms  would  be  ruined,  they 
said ;  the  work  must  not  go  on :  they  could  not 
accept  the  price  offered  for  their  land. 

*  But  it  is  a  good,  fair  price,  is  it  not  ?'  said  the 
Ras. 

*  It  is  not  the  price  we  complain  of,  most  gracious 
lord  ;  we  don't  want  our  farms  to  be  destroyed.' 

The  Ras  ordered  them  out  of  his  presence,  saying 
that  there  was  but  one  Governor  of  Harrar,  and  that 
he  and  he  alone  would  say  what  might  or  might  not 


ON  THE  FEENCH  EOAD  TO  HAEEAE      17 

be  done.  The  road  was  constructed,  and  a  guard  pre- 
vented interference  with,  the  labourers.  When  it  was 
all  over,  the  Ras  called  the  turbulent  spirits  before  him, 
and  telling  them  that  he  had  been  compelled  to  exert 
his  authority  in  order  to  demonstrate  his  supremacy,  he 
was  now  prepared  voluntarily  to  pay  them  twice  the 
value  of  their  property,  thus  showing  them  that  their 
Governor  could  be  generous  as  well  as  just. 

It  was  noon  when  we  emerged  upon  the  plateau,  in 
the  centre  of  which  stands  Harrar,  and  from  an  African 
Switzerland  we  now  entered  upon  boundless  plains  of 
rich  and  well-cultivated  lands.  Sorgho,  barley,  teff, 
all  the  vast  variety  of  Ethiopian  crops,  grew  about  us, 
and  in  the  far  distance  lay  a  small  lake,  by  the  shores 
of  which  we  lunched  sumptuously  upon  what  the 
French  call  corned  beef  and  hard  bread.  Tens  of 
thousands  of  waterfowl  swam  or  flew  about  the  lake, 
and  the  shores  were  black  with  sleek  zebus.  One 
hour's  rest  was  allowed,  whereupon  we  put  our  weary 
forms  once  again  into  the  saddle,  determined  to  cover 
our  thirty-eight  miles,  and  to  meet  the  Ras  at  four 
o'clock  at  all  hazards. 

Now  the  scenery  again  changed.  The  finished 
portion  of  the  new  road  we  left  behind,  and  with  an 
equatorial  sun  in  our  faces  we  pressed  on  between 
rows  of  giant  euphorbia.  A  foot-runner  met  us  eight 
miles  out,  and,  after  a  hasty  inspection  and  salutation, 
darted  on  ahead  to  spread  the  news  of  our  coming. 
Three  miles  farther  on  we  met  the  first  escort,  con- 
sisting of  a  hundred  warriors  on  foot,  commanded  by 
a  venerable  gentleman  with  a  patriarchal  beard, 
mounted,  wearing  a  long  purple  satin  robe.  He 
and  I  descended  from  our  mules  and  shook  hands, 
the  old  gentleman   declaring  that  he  and  his  men 

2 


18  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

prostrated  themselves  to  the  ground.  Incidentally,  I 
gathered  that  the  runner  who  had  first  met  us,  and 
the  presence  of  the  old  gentleman  so  far  out  of 
the  city,  had  been  ordered  to  ascertain  whether  our 
party  represented  the  might  and  majesty  of  the 
American  Republic  in  an  official  sense,  or  whether  it 
was  merely  a  private  commercial  mission.  The  old 
gentleman  remounted,  and  while  his  servant  carried 
his  shield,  he  himself  played  a  wand,  twelve  feet 
long,  upon  the  heads  and  shoulders  of  the  unwary 
who  got  in  our  way,  and  as  the  traffic  is  considerable 
at  this  point,  and  the  ambition  of  youth  to  follow  the 
procession  as  strong  in  Ethiopia  as  elsewhere,  my 
venerable  friend  was  never  without  occupation. 

We  passed  hundreds  of  peasants  leaving  or  entering 
the  city,  the  movement  being  exceptionally  heavy, 
owing  to  the  Ethiopian  law  which  requires  all  mer- 
chandising to  be  done  ^\^thin  the  walled  city,  and 
making  it  an  offence  to  engage  in  these  transactions 
without. 

We  finally  descended  a  rocky  path,  coming  out 
upon  a  beautiful  plain  surroimded  by  coffee  planta- 
tions, and  with  the  ancient  walled  city  of  Harrar  in 
the  foreground.  In  the  distance  approaching  us  we 
saw  dimly  a  large  body  of  troops,  which  proved  to  be 
a  thousand  men,  in  the  midst  of  whom  rode  the 
Governor  or  Ras  of  Harrar.  A  man  of  middle  age 
he  proved  to  be,  delicate  in  form  and  feature  and  quiet 
in  manner.  He  wore  a  large  felt  hat,  rich  robes, 
white  stockings,  and  patent  leather  slippers.  His 
hands  were  delicate  and  small,  seemingly  a  character- 
istic of  his  race.  When  we  met  we  both  descended, 
and  I  was  again  welcomed  most  cordially.  Dusty  and 
weary,  hot,  and  arrayed  in  khaki,  our  appearance  was 


RECEPTION  BY  THE  EAS  MAKONNEN  19 

in  striking  contrast  to  that  of  the  followers  of  the 
Ras  Makonnen.  Having  exchanged  salutations,  the 
Governor's  troops  led  the  cavalcade,  the  Ras  himself 
riding  with  me,  and  my  own  escort  following.  As 
we  passed  under  the  brown  city  walls,  a  cannon  upon 
the  ramparts  belched  forth  eleven  additional  welcomes, 
the  first  time,  as  we  were  told,  that  a  mission  had 
been  thus  received.  We  continued  on  through  the 
gateway,  and  found  ourselves  in  a  compactly  built 
city  of  low,  flat-roofed  houses  of  stone,  with  additional 
troops  lining  our  progress  through  the  rough  and 
narrow  streets. 

During  our  ride  the  Ras  explained  that  his  new 
palace  had  been  placed  at  our  disposition,  and,  as  the 
camels  had  not  yet  arrived  with  our  tents,  the  offer 
was  gladly  accepted.  By  this  time  we  had  reached 
the  residence  of  the  Ras  himself,  who  invited  the 
entire  American  party  to  enter.  After  passing  through 
a  small  courtyard,  the  officers  found  themselves  before 
an  unpretentious  two-story  building,  and  then,  climb- 
ing a  flight  of  stairs,  in  a  long  reception-room,  in 
which  a  table  laid  in  French  fashion  indicated  that 
something  was  to  follow.  Here,  in  a  low  musical 
voice,  the  Ras,  who  rules  the  province  with  an  arm 
of  iron,  bade  us  be  seated.  White-robed  servants 
immediately  brought  forth  jars  of  mead  or  tedj, 
the  native  champagne,  in  which  we  drank  to  the 
health  of  President  and  Emperor.  With  the  same 
thoughtful  courtesy,  the  Ras  sent  down  refreshments 
to  our  tired  escort  waiting  below.  The  day  had  been 
hot  and  long,  and  the  tedj  proved  to  be  the  most 
grateful  and  comforting  thing  that  we  had  had  in 
Ethiopia.  Afterwards  the  Governor  sent  jars  of  it  to 
our  lodgings,  as  long  as  we  remained. 

2—2 


90  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

This  stimulating  beverage  is  manufactured  from 
honey,  of  which  enormous  quantities  are  found  in 
Ethiopia,  the  active  agent  producing  fermentation 
being  the  leaves  of  a  plant  called  guecho.  The 
guecho  plant  is  cultivated  on  a  large  scale,  and  sold 
in  all  pubhc  markets.  Its  properties  are  such  that  it 
might  very  possibly  be  utilized  in  other  countries  in  a 
similar  manner. 

The  new  palace  so  thoughtfully  placed  at  our  dis- 
position was  not  far  from  the  residence  of  the  Ras, 
and  proved  to  be  the  most  imposing  structure  that 
we  saw  during  our  sojourn.  It  is  of  Arab-Indian 
design,  and  contains  numerous  rooms  of  enormous 
size,  aU  carpeted  with  Oriental  rugs,  and  to  some 
extent  furnished  with  French  furniture.  Across  the 
courtyard  was  a  small  Italian  hotel,  organized  and 
opened  on  the  day  of  our  arrival,  and  also  whoUy 
reserved  for  our  use.  We  certainly  had  every  reason- 
able accommodation  during  our  stay. 

The  following  day  the  camels  arrived,  and  camp 
was  established  just  beyond  the  city  walls.  In  the 
meantime  I  had  formally  called  upon  the  Ras,  inviting 
him  to  visit  the  camp,  which  he  did  the  next  after- 
noon, bringing  with  him  his  escort  of  a  thousand 
men.  While  we  were  in  my  reception-tent  a  confused 
cry  was  heard  outside,  and  as  I  returned  with  the  Ras 
to  his  horse  it  became  louder  and  more  intense,  and 
proceeded  from  thousands  of  the  populace,  who  had 
gathered  to  see  the  unusual  spectacle.  I  asked  Oualdo 
son  of  Mikael  what  it  meant. 

'  They  are  crying  to  you  to  deliver  back  their  Ras,' 
said  he,  *  that  he  may  give  them  justice.' 

I  learned  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  people  to 
thus  assemble  and  cry  out  for  attention,  expecting  to 


THE  EAS  MAKONNEN  21 

have  their  complaints  examined  by  this  great  feudal 
chieftain,  whose  every  hour  is  occupied  hstening  to 
and  deciding  disputes  brought  to  him  upon  appeal. 
Before  I  left  Harrar  I  saw  him  again,  and  had  the 
pleasure  of  presenting  him  with  a  portrait  of  the 
President,  which  seemed  to  give  him  great  pleasure. 
He  is  one  of  the  Emperor's  ablest  lieutenants,  and  has 
travelled  extensively  in  Italy,  France,  and  England, 
profiting  by  his  experiences.  He  is  slow  of  speech, 
and  not  as  ready  a  conversationalist  as  the  Emperor ; 
but  he  is  evidently  of  a  studious  and  reflective  turn 
of  mind,  and  has  the  unbounded  confidence  of  his 
people.* 

Our  lodgings  at  Harrar  adjoined  the  largest  school, 
whereof  the  principal  soon  became  my  friend.  He 
was  an  imposing  personage,  by  name  Gabro  Johannis, 
or  *  Slave  of  John.'  He  could  recite  whole  books  of 
the  New  Testament  by  heart,  but  his  knowledge  of 
geography  went  no  farther  than  Jerusalem  and  Suez. 
To  him  everything  else  beyond  was  grouped  under 
the  general  head  of  frangi,  or  foreign.  It  gave 
me  a  singular  sensation  when  I  announced  to  this 
gentleman,  who  heard  it  for  the  first  time,  that  the 
world  was  round.  The  statement  seemed  so  much  at 
variance  with  his  own  observation  that  he  called  in 
a  number  of  friends  to  listen  to  the  remarkable  exposi- 
tion of  this  frangi  from  America.  Finding  that  I  was 
having  some  success,  I  ventured  to  remark  that  in 

♦  This  was  written  in  1904.  I  deeply  regret  to  say  that  the 
Eas  Makonnen  died  unexpectedly  in  the  spring  of  1906  at  Harrar. 
His  death  is  universally  deplored  as  a  great  loss  to  Ethiopia.  No 
one  who  ever  met  the  Eas  Makonnen  failed  to  perceive  his  worth. 
When  I  first  mentioned  his  name  to  Mr.  Eoosevelt,  the  President 
observed,  'Why,  he  must  be  a  Scotchman';  and,  in  fact,  he 
possessed  many  of  the  Scotch  quaUties  as  well  as  the  name. 


22  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

New  York  there  were  not  only  tall  buildings  over 
twenty  stories  in  height,  but  that  there  were  railroads 
by  which  passengers  were  transported  from  story  to 
story.  I  am  persuaded  now  that  my  good  friend  felt 
that  he  was  being  imposed  upon,  for  his  interest 
seemed  to  flag  from  that  moment. 

Aside  from  exchanging  courtesies,  our  time  in 
Harrar  was  devoted  principally  to  visiting  the  market, 
which  is  extremely  interesting,  and  some  large 
mercantile  houses,  which  receive  coffee  and  other 
natural  products  of  the  country,  exchanging  them  for 
American  sheetings  and  other  articles.  The  popula- 
tion consists  of  15,000  Abyssinians,  17,500  Harrari  or 
natives,  who  speak  a  local  patois,  6,500  GaUas,  and 
1,000  Armenians,  Greeks,  Turks,  and  Europeans.  As 
half  the  population  is  Moslem,  it  requires  a  firm  hand 
and  a  steady  head  to  preserve  order.  It  may  be  said 
that  the  Ras  Makonnen  completely  succeeds. 

While  walking  along  the  streets  one  day  we 
encountered  a  returning  chieftain  who  had  just 
succeeded  in  killing  an  elephant.  He  was  evidently 
a  Mohammedan,  for  he  was  followed  by  numerous 
wives,  closely  veiled,  and  a  hundred  or  more  retainers, 
who  chanted  the  song  of  triumph  with  which  the 
Abyssinian  celebrates  every  victory  of  this  kind. 
The  singers  seemed  perfectly  oblivious  of  everything 
about  them,  and  to  have  worked  themselves  into  a 
frenzy  of  excitement. 

We  reached  Harrar  on  a  Saturday  evening,  and  left 
the  following  Tuesday.  We  arrived  at  Dir^-Daouah 
saddle-worn  and  sunburnt,  but  highly  pleased  with 
the  excursion.  The  journey  had  been  too  long  for 
both  mules  and  men.  A  few  of  the  former  never 
wholly    recovered.      The    next    morning    we    found 


ThK    rKlNCII'AI.    OV     TlIK    SciliKII.    AT    IIaKKAK. 


BACK  TO  DIRE-DAOUAH  23 

many  swollen  backs  among  our  mnles,  some  of 
whicli  took  care  of  themselves,  others  being  reduced 
by  the  frightful  Abyssinian  custom  of  applying  hot 
irons.  We  never  permitted  this  latter  treatment  to 
be  followed  after  that,  although  there  seemed  to  be  no 
doubt  of  its  efficacy.  Perhaps  the  Ethiopian  mule 
has  a  constitution  which  differs  from  that  of  other 
mules,  for  we  saw  numerous  instances  of  animals 
coming  in  with  swollen  backs,  to  which  the  iron  was 
applied,  the  same  mules  starting  out  with  a  heavy 
load  on  the  following  day,  apparently  unconcerned 
about  their  treatment. 

Long  after  my  return  from  Harrar,  it  became  known 
to  the  Eas  Makonnen  that  the  American  Government 
sought  to  purchase  in  the  city  a  few  of  the  fine  large 
Gr^vy  zebras  to  be  found  only  in  Abyssinia.  With 
spontaneous  generosity,  he  forwarded  a  pair  of  these 
beautiful  animals  to  me,  together  with  a  letter  so 
polite  and  gracious  in  its  terms  that  I  reproduce  it 
here,  as  its  quaint  language  well  illustrates  the 
characteristic  courtesy  of  a  statesman  since  passed 
away,  whose  high  qualities  were  proved  in  many 
ways : 

*  The  Mas  Makonnen,  Governor  of  Harrar,  to  his 
honourable  friend,  Mr.  Skinner ,  the  American 
Consid-General  at  Marseilles. 

'  How  are  you  ?  Myself,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  am 
well. 

'  To  respond  to  the  desire  which  you  have  expressed 
to  me,  I  send  to  you  for  your  Government  a  male  and  a 
female  zebra,  through  the  kindly  care  of  Mr.  Guigniony, 
the  French  Consul. 


34  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

*  I  pray  your  Government  to  kindly  accept  these 
animals  in  witness  of  my  friendship  and  sympathy. 

*  I  hope  that  the  relations  of  friendship  which  have 
been  established  between  our  Governments  may  go  on 
developing  for  ever. 

'  May  the  All  Powerful  accord  you  long  life  and 
health ! 

•Written  at  Harrar  the  fifteenth  Tekemt,  1898' 
(corresponding  to  October  25,  1905). 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  lords  of  the  desert  delay  progress  —  Sali  the  wicked  — 
Hatching  a  conspiracy — The  party  of  amity  and  commerce 
threatened  with  war — Preparations  for  a  midnight  attack. 

We  were  prepared  to  move  on  at  once  towards  Addis- 
Ababa,  and,  in  fact,  expected  to  do  so  after  a  day's  rest. 
Unanticipated  difficulties  now  arose  in  reference  to 
our  transport.  The  terms  supposed  to  have  been 
made  with  the  camel  contractor  before  our  arrival 
were  rejected  at  the  last  moment,  and  with  hundreds 
of  apparently  idle  camels  munching  the  thorn-bushes 
around  Dird-Daouah,  there  appeared  to  be  none  for 
hire.  After  prolonged  discussions,  which  began  at 
dawn  and  never  seemed  to  end,  the  difficulties  were 
finally  adjusted,  thanks  in  large  measure  to  the 
solicitude  of  our  friends  Messrs.  Carette  and  Jaume. 
We  found  ourselves  in  command  of  three  caravans  of 
from  six  to  thirty-five  camels  each.  One  consisted  of 
Abyssinian  camel-drivers  and  animals,  and  was  to 
transport  supplies  for  use  in  Addis-Ababa  and  for  the 
return  trip  directly  to  Addis-Ababa,  regardless  of  our 
personal  movements.  Another  consisted  of  six  fine 
Arab  camels  with  as  many  Arab  drivers,  and  was  to 
transport  our  personal  effects  and  to  travel  with  us. 
The  third  consisted  of  Danakil  camels,  driven  by 
savages  from  the  desert,  and  was  to  transport  our 
remaining  belongings  to  Baltchi,  the  point  where  the 

25 


26  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

real  Ethiopia  begins  and  the  savage  ceases  to  feel  at 
home.  From  this  point  we  expected  to  hire  mules  for 
the  last  stage  of  the  journey. 

Of  course,  there  was  no  real  reason  why  the  third 
caravan  should  not  proceed  with  us  to  Addis-Ababa, 
our  ultimate  destination,  but  argument  is  of  no  avail 
with  a  Danakil  nobleman.  It  is  the  rule  of  the  Danakil 
camehnen  to  carry  freight  to  Baltchi  and  no  further. 
Why  discuss  it  ?  Why  should  a  dog  of  a  Christian 
even  think  about  such  matters  ?  Is  it  not  enough  that 
the  proud,  if  naked,  Danakil  consents  to  transport  his 
belongings  across  the  desert  ? 

The  details  regarding  these  caravans  were  in  charge 
of  Lieutenant  Hussey,  of  the  naval  escort.  In  addition 
to  this  variegated  assortment  of  camels  and  drivers, 
there  was  assigned  to  us,  as  a  sort  of  guide,  philosopher, 
and  friend,  and  as  chief  domestic  and  go-between,  the 
hero  of  a  dozen  elephant  hunts,  and  the  very  man 
required  to  uphold  the  dignity  and  honour  of  the 
United  States  while  we  crossed  the  desert.  His  name 
was  Sali. 

Sali  was  an  Arab,  whose  thin  bare  legs  and  emaciated 
body  were  more  or  less  covered  by  fabrics  of  brown, 
yeUow,  and  red.  Upon  his  head  he  wore  a  huge 
turban,  and  there  were  rings  in  his  ears,  upon  his 
arms  and  his  ankles.  He  had  lively  small  black  eyes, 
and  he  shook  hands  a  great  deal.  All  our  desert 
friends  liked  to  shake  hands  much  more  than  was 
necessary.  It  took  Sali  just  two  hours  to  count  and 
recount  a  small  stack  of  silver  thalers,  destined  for  the 
camel-men's  advance  pay,  upon  the  evening  of  his 
engagement,  whereupon  he  '  issh^d  '  (*  it  is  well '),  and 
backed  out. 

This   desert   chieftain    would    have    delighted    an 


THE  LOEDS  OF  THE  DESEET  DELAY  PEOGEESS  27 

artist's  soul,  and  I  shall  never  cease  to  regret  the 
failure  of  my  camera  to  preserve  his  image  for  pos- 
terity. His  duplicity  was  deplorable,  but  his  pic- 
turesqueness,  at  the  head  of  our  procession,  until  his 
mule  escaped,  was  undeniable.  The  sight  of  my  chief 
domestic,  his  great  toes  stuck  through  his  stirrup  rings, 
his  gorgeous  garments  fluttering  in  the  wind,  his  ear- 
rings glistening,  and  his  spear  uplifted,  galloping 
through  the  mimosa-trees,  filled  my  heart  with  glad- 
ness, and — I  confess  it  now  without  shame  for  my 
weakness — ^I  would  have  been  happy  had  I  dared  to 
forgive  him  later  on,  merely  for  the  joy  of  looking  at 
his  person. 

The  delay  at  Dire-Daouah  seemed  interminable. 
On  two  different  days  it  was  announced  that  we  were 
to  start.  Man  and  beast  were  ready,  but  we  did  not 
start — nobody  ever  did  know,  or  ever  wiU  know,  why. 
In  the  meantime,  the  lords  of  the  desert  sat  on  their 
haunches  opposite  our  hotel  in  the  sunshine,  zealously 
brushing  their  teeth  and  regarding  us  with  scornful 
indifference  whenever  we  came  forth. 

Finally,  it  was  agreed  that  on  the  following  morning 
(Sunday)  we  should  really  start.  We  rose  at  4  a.m., 
and  at  6  half  a  dozen  of  the  Arab  camels  came  into 
the  hotel  courtyard,  and  groaned,  as  only  the  camel  of 
commerce  can  groan,  for  four  hours.  The  Danakil 
*  habane '  managed  to  turn  up  at  about  ten  o'clock^ 
and  the  Abyssinian,  being  a  contract  free-lance,  had 
gone  on.  We  postponed  our  departure  until  after 
luncheon. 

During  the  intervening  hours  we  watched  the  Arab 
camel-drivers  parcel  out  the  *  charges '  among  the 
animals.  With  great  rapidity,  they  loaded  each  beast 
as  lightly  as  possible   and,  leaving  one-third  of  the 


28  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

effects  assigned  to  them  upon  the  ground,  declared 
that  four-legged  creatures  could  carry  no  more. 
Oualdo  son  of  Mikael  was  sent  for.  He  straightway 
applied  to  the  situation  the  plain  common-sense  which 
made  him  by  far  the  most  valuable  retainer  in  the 
entire  expedition,  by  borrowing  a  pair  of  scales.  He 
demanded  that  the  camels  be  unloaded,  and  after 
weighing  every  parcel  and  ascertaining  that  our  total 
weight  was  well  within  our  rights,  he  easily  prevented 
further  difficulty.  Incidentally,  we  learned  something 
about  camels. 

A  camel-load,  or  *  charge,'  weighs,  *  in  principle,'  as 
the  French  say,  493  pounds,  but  in  fact  never  more 
than  420  pounds.  A  camel-driver  may  place  his  load 
upon  two  animals  if  he  chooses — this  is  his  affair, 
for  he  gets  the  same  price.  If  speed  is  desired,  these 
half  *  charges '  pay  the  full  tariff.  In  addition  to 
contract  terms,  it  is  necessary  to  occasionally  bestow 
a  goat  or  sheep  upon  the  drivers,  and  the  end  of  the 
journey  is  expected  to  bring  with  it  a  'gratification.' 

While  waiting  for  the  camel-drivers  to  load  and 
move  off,  a  returning  traveller  arrived,  who  had 
departed  from  Addis-Ababa  some  weeks  before.  He 
had  gone  up  on  a  prospecting  tour  of  some  kind. 
This  gentleman  very  kindly  supplied  information 
about  the  desert  route,  and  incidentally  suggested  that 
we  had  better  have  our  guns  handy  and  keep  our 
powder  dry.  He  himself  had  encountered  a  band 
of  500  mounted  savages  upon  the  desert,  who 
were  returning  from  some  tribal  war  manifestation. 
The  chief  had  noted  our  informant's  skill  with  sundry 
machine  gims  and  betook  himself  off.  Our  informant 
said  that  he  felt  better  when  he  had  left  the  party  well 
behind.   With  this  cheering  intelligence  we  said  good- 


tP^\l^..  I 


IN  THE  DESEET  29 

bye  to  Madame  Brincard,  of  the  H6tel  P^tiaux,  mounted 
our  faithful  mules,  and,  accompanied  by  the  chief 
European  residents  of  Dire-Daouah,  who  escorted  us 
for  several  miles,  set  out  for  the  unknown. 

To  the  great  satisfaction  of  all,  we  were  at  last 
under  way,  and  after  the  nerv^e-stretching  delays  of 
our  week  at  Dir^-Daouah  the  calm  of  the  desert  was 
most  welcome.  We  had  moved  out  of  Dire-Daouah  at 
two  o'clock,  the  sun's  direct  rays  being  soon  tempered 
as  we  entered  the  forest  of  mimosa-trees,  through 
which  we  travelled  for  three  successive  days.  Old 
Sali  headed  our  procession,  the  camels  had  all  pre- 
ceded us  by  over  an  hour,  and  the  khaki-clad  soldiers 
of  the  Republic  cantered  on  in  Indian  file.  We  made 
our  camp  that  day  upon  a  small  turf-covered  clearing, 
beside  a  number  of  wretched,  all  but  dry  wells,  which 
barely  supplied  sufficient  muddy  water  for  our  night 
and  morning  coffee.  As  for  the  animals,  they  had  to 
be  content  with  the  fine  grazing  and  wait  until  the 
following  noon  to  quench  their  thirst. 

The  camp  stove  was  promptly  put  into  commission, 
and  the  odours  of  the  flesh-pots  of  Camacho  the  Rich 
were  as  nothing  compared  with  the  aroma  of  bacon 
and  other  homely  American  things  that  floated  over 
the  Ethiopian  desert.  A  ring  of  tents,  upon  the  poles 
of  which  appeared  the  historic  words,  '  Santiago, 
Cuba,'  was  formed  around  the  stove.  Within  the 
circle  the  camels  were  brought — after  they  had  eaten 
their  full  of  mimosa  twigs — and  among  them  the  Arabs 
and  Danakils  constructed  huts  of  our  boxed  effects, 
thatching  them  with  their  straw  pack-saddle  mats. 
They,  too,  were  soon  at  work,  encouraging  diminutive 
fires,  each  between  three  round  stones,  to  cook  their 
porridge  of  sorgho.    A  long  rope,  staked  to  the  ground 


30  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

by  Private  Vernon,  our  trusty  Master  of  the  Mules, 
was  just  beyond  the  line  of  tents,  and  to  it  our  live- 
stock was  tethered. 

A  crescent  moon  rose  that  night,  and  after  *  taps ' 
had  been  sounded  by  our  bugler,  the  post-guards 
called  out  the  hours,  and  only  the  howling  of  the 
hyenas  broke  the  silence. 

We  had  supposed  that,  having  once  started  out  with 
our  heterogeneous  caravan,  we  should  have  no  more 
confusion  or  trouble.  We  were  mistaken.  In  the 
first  place,  the  Danakil  and  the  American  had 
diametrically  opposite  ideas  about  other  things  than 
clothes.  The  Danakil  liked  to  rise  late.  The  sun 
warmed  his  marrow-bones,  and  the  early  mornings 
were  cool.  The  hotter  it  was  the  better  he  liked  it. 
The  American  idea  was  based  upon  Franklin's  advice. 
We  were  afraid  of  the  sun.  We  rose  before  dawn, 
but  nobody  else  did.  Persuasion  was  of  no  avail, 
and  we  had  not  yet  learned  that  the  advice  of  our 
European  friends  to  make  a  show  of  force  was  to  be 
construed  literally.  Hence  we  waited.  Old  Sali 
pretended  to  be  very  busy  on  the  morning  of  our 
second  day  out,  ordering  people  about ;  but  they 
brushed  him  away,  and  it  was  evident  that  he  had 
no  authority,  and  never  had  had.  The  Arabs  and 
their  six  camels  moved  off  promptly,  and  gave  us  no 
trouble  thereafter  at  any  time.  They  were  a  merry, 
resourceful  lot,  lived  up  to  their  contract,  sang  at  their 
work,  cared  well  for  their  camels,  and,  if  they  forgot 
their  prayers,  would  have  starved  rather  than  eat  meat 
killed  by  a  heretic. 

The  gloomy  grandeur  of  the  Danakils  was  superior 
to  aU  appeals  to  hurry  from  our  military  officers.     In 


•:^#./«^,^  :J| 


QUAEREL  BETWEEN  CAMEL-DRIVEES  31 

the  fatalist's  lexicon  there  is  no  snch  word  as  *  hurry.' 
To  add  to  the  morning's  difficulties,  the  two  women 
camel-drivers  came  to  blows  concerning  the  disposition 
of  a  feather-weight  parcel.  Finally  the  men-folk 
interfered,  and  lodged  it  upon  one  of  the  two  camels, 
whereupon  the  vanquished  shrieked  aloud  in  anguish, 
and  attempted  to  drive  a  spear  through  her  colleague's 
back.  Her  camel  wore  a  necklace  of  cockle-shells, 
and  was  clearly  an  object  of  affection. 

*  0  pearl  without  price,'  she  cried  (so  Oualdo 
said),  *  the  she-goat  of  a  heretic  wishes  to  kill  thee ! 
May  the  jackals  get  her  short-legged  beast !  May 
her  daughters  bear  no  children  !  They  have  forced 
me  to  overburden  thee,  0  my  beloved  !' 

The  poor  creature  lashed  herself  into  a  rage,  and 
again  and  again  sought  to  send  the  lance  through  her 
companion.  Finally  the  storm  expended  itself,  and 
that  night  these  same  two  creatures  were  doing  some 
sort  of  domestic  work  together  as  harmoniously  as 
though  differences  had  never  come  between  them. 

Eventually  the  entire  caravan  moved  off,  each 
animal  securely  attached  by  a  rope  tightly  drawn 
around  its  lower  lip,  and  then  tied  with  humiliating 
firmness  to  the  tail  of  the  next  camel  preceding.  We 
made  habitually  something  less  than  three  miles  an 
hour  with  our  mules,  but  the  camels  rarely  exceeded 
two  miles  an  hour.  This  meant,  of  course,  our  arrival 
at  the  rendezvous  a  number  of  hours  in  advance  of 
our  baggage.  We  averaged  six  hours  a  day  in  the 
saddle.  It  was  our  aim  to  reach  our  destination  about 
noon,  but  owing  to  the  defects  in  our  organization  we 
rarely  left  camp  in  time  to  accomplish  this  design. 
Eeturning  from  Addis-Ababa  we  did  much  better. 

We  had  scarcely  proceeded  eight  miles  on  this 


32  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

second  day's  journey  when  old  Sali,  dismounting 
from  his  mule,  had  the  unpleasant  sensation  of  seeing 
that  animal  disappear  in  a  cloud  of  dust  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Dir^-Daouah,  and,  to  complete  his  discom- 
fiture, with  the  old  man's  slippers  attached  to  the 
saddle.  Discredited  by  ourselves,  jeered  at  by  the 
Arab  drivers,  and  all  but  spat  upon  by  the  Danakils, 
the  imhappy  old  gentleman  girded  his  flowing  robe 
around  his  loins,  and  carefully  picked  his  way  along 
the  road,  filled  with  fallen  mimosa  thorns  and  sharp 
pebbles.  We  were  sitting  on  the  grass  under  the 
shadow  of  some  fine  old  trees,  on  the  banks  of  Ourso 
Creek,  when  old  Sali  limped  in,  and,  removing  his 
garments,  sat  himself  down  in  the  bed  of  the  stream. 
His  ablutions  terminated,  it  seemed  to  be  a  kind  and 
Christianlike  thing  to  tell  Sali  that  his  services  were 
less  valuable  than  had  been  expected,  and  that, 
whereas  it  was  merely  a  walk  of  20  miles  back 
to  Dire-Daouah,  there  were  still  some  260  miles 
between  Ourso  and  Addis  -  Ababa,  and  very  poor 
walking  at  that. 

'  Sali,'  he  was  told,  *  you  know  you  are  a  good  deal 
of  a  fraud.  You  never  killed  any  elephants,  and  you 
cannot  even  take  charge  of  a  mule,  let  alone  a  caravan. 
The  camel-men  refuse  to  accept  your  orders,  and  you 
are  in  the  way.' 

The  old  man  was  willing  to  concede  that  he  was  a 
humbug  for  practical  purposes,  but  insisted  that  he 
was  a  '  personage,'  that  he  had  houses  and  goats  at 
Ankober,  and  that,  finally,  being  a  *  personage,'  he 
could  not  be  humiliated  with  impunity ;  however, 
rather  than  be  subjected  to  any  such  mortifying 
experience,  he  would  forget  his  moral  injuries  and 
his  physical  hurts,  and  go  along  with  us,   without 


SALT  THE  WICKED  33 

wages.  Only  lie  desired  that  when  he  had  piloted  us 
across  the  sandy  wastes  we  should  give  him  a  *  gratifi- 
cation.' Incidentally  he  remarked  that  he  was  very 
hungry  ;  he  had  eaten  nothing  for  two  days. 

*  But  the  contract  was  that  you  were  to  receive  and 
disburse  the  money  among  the  camel-men,  and  that 
we  were  not  to  be  responsible  for  your  food  or  theirs.' 

'It  is  true,'  said  Sali,  'true  as  the  Koran,  your 
Supreme  lUustriousness ;  but  they  will  have  none  of 
me — and  I  am  hungry.' 

This  statement  being  unquestionably  true,  with 
democratic  simplicity  Sali  was  offered  half  of  a  can 
of  corned  beef.  The  slayer  of  elephants  looked  at  it 
with  wistful  eyes,  smelled  it,  and  evidently  wanted  to 
eat  it. 

*  Who  killed  it  ?'  he  inquired. 

'What  does  it  matter  who  killed  it?' — perhaps 
this  was  said  a  little  sharply.  '  Nobody  knows.  It 
is  good.' 

But  the  old  man's  rehgion  was  stronger  than  his 
appetite,  for  he  gave  it  back,  and,  turning  himself 
towards  Mecca,  began  to  read  the  Koran. 

Our  caravan  at  this  time  was  much  scattered,  and 
perhaps  a  mile  long.  It  was  quite  impracticable  for 
us  to  keep  together,  and  we  determined,  upon  leaving 
Ourso,  to  detail  a  rearguard  to  follow  the  camels, 
and  to  send  the  main  body  of  the  escort  and  the 
servants  as  rapidly  as  they  could  travel  to  each 
day's  rendezvous.  The  halting  -  points  were  fixed, 
naturally,  by  the  condition  of  the  water-supply.  By 
following  the  base  of  the  mountains  we  occasionally 
came  to  small  streams  like  the  Ourso,  or  at  least 
wells,  while  farther  to  the  north  these  same  streams 
lost  themselves  in  the  sand. 

3 


34  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

On  the  succeeding  day  Sali  appeared  in  the  r61e  of 
an  arch-conspirator.  He  had  kept  counsel  with  him- 
self since  his  deposition,  but,  as  we  learned  later,  he 
had  managed  to  have  a  number  of  interviews  with 
the  Danakil  '  habane.'  The  division  of  our  party  into 
an  advance-  and  rear-guard  gave  the  old  rascal  his 
coveted  opportunity  to  get  even.  With  the  marines 
as  my  escort,  I  had  started  on  in  advance,  accompany- 
ing the  faithful  Arab  camel-men.  Hofalld,  an  isolated 
mountain,  standing  apart  from  the  main  chain,  and 
visible  miles  away,  indicated  plainly  enough  the 
direction  we  were  to  follow.  Our  route  lay  to  the 
left  of  Hofalle  and  under  its  shadow.  By  this  route 
we  encountered  vegetation  most  of  the  way  and  water 
at  the  rendezvous.  To  the  right  of  Hofalle  lay  the 
sandy  desert,  and  the  home  of  the  Danakil  camel- 
drivers  whom  we  had  employed.  My  Somali  soldier 
policeman,  one  of  the  three  sent  along  by  the  Ras 
Makonnen,  showed  us  the  way,  proudly  wearing  his 
chamma  of  American  cloth,  upon  which  he  care- 
fully preserved  and  exhibited  the  manufacturer's 
mark,  *  Dwight's  Best  Sheeting.'  Sali  trudged  along 
also.  He  said  that,  although  dethroned,  he  was  going 
as  far  as  the  Hawash,  to  visit  one  of  his  numerous 
biets,  or  farms. 

After  four  hours'  going,  we  reached  the  dry  bed  of 
a  stream,  in  the  middle  of  wliich  appeared  to  be  a 
fairly  good  well.  Atto  Bayane,  son  of  the  Governor 
of  Dir^-Daouah,  was  there  in  advance  of  us.  He  had 
come  on  to  meet  his  father,  then  returning  from 
Addis-Ababa.  We  sat  under  a  huge  tamarind-tree 
and  waited  for  the  rearguard,  consisting  of  Captain 
Thorpe  and  the  bluejackets,  who  were  following  the 
Danakil  caravan.     As  they  did  not  arrive  within  a 


M.  COMBOUL  AND  THE  DANAKILS  35 

reasonable  period,  Atto  Bayane  suggested  that  possibly 
tbey  bad  taken  the  trail  leading  to  the  right  of  Hof all^ 
instead  of  to  the  left,  in  which  case  we  woidd  probably 
find  them  in  the  bed  of  the  same  stream  a  mmiber  of 
miles  below,  but  in  the  heart  of  the  Danakil  country, 
concerning  which  darksome  stories  had  reached  us. 

We  had  been  particularly  warned  to  keep  away 
from  the  Danakil  habitat,  where  the  wayfarer  was 
sure  to  be  long  detained,  and  mulcted  of  portable 
property  in  every  form.  Oualdo  son  of  Mikael  had 
been  there  with  his  late  master,  M.  Comboul.  After 
making  their  camp,  all  the  camels  had  disappeared, 
and  likewise  the  drivers.  The  latter  went  to  their 
several  homes,  calmly  oblivious  of  poor  M.  Comboul 
and  their  contract.  Then  old  chief  Eleye,  who  subse- 
quently died  in  jail  for  his  sins,  presented  himself, 
insisted  upon  sitting  in  M.  Comboul's  beautifully 
upholstered  Paris  chair,  and  reposing  his  buttered 
head  upon  the  back  thereof,  while  explaining  in 
flowery  language  his  desire  for  tribute.  M.  Comboul 
passed  thirty  days  parleying  with  the  chief,  while  one 
of  the  Somali  soldiers  escaped  and  carried  the  news 
to  the  Emperor.  A  regiment  was  at  once  sent  to 
relieve  the  scientific  explorer,  and  the  incident  caused 
old  Eleyd  many  a  head  of  cattle  and  his  people  many 
huts,  as  the  Emperor  does  not  trifle  with  his  Danakil 
subjects. 

The  experience  of  Mr.  Macmillan,  an  American 
traveller  from  St.  Louis,  in  the  spring  of  1903  in  this 
same  corner  of  the  empire  proved  less  wearisome,  but 
more  sanguinary.  Mr.  Macmillan — so  I  was  informed — 
was  accompanied  by  a  French  newspaper  writer,  who 
imprudently  separated  himself  from  the  caravan,  and 
lost  his  way  in  the  bush.     He  encountered  a  Danakil 

3—2 


36  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

and  asked  his  way.  The  DaDakil,  instead  of  conduct- 
ing him  back  to  the  trail,  lured  him  farther  on  and 
brutally  murdered  him.  The  Frenchman  was  un- 
armed and  could  make  no  resistance.  The  Emperor 
was  informed  of  the  facts,  and  sent  a  regiment  to  the 
spot  to  demand  that  the  murderer  be  given  up  to  him. 
As  the  penalty  for  concealing  the  culprit  involved 
confiscation  of  herds  and  destruction  of  their  villages, 
the  headmen  finally  acceded.  The  savage  was  hanged 
from  a  tree  in  the  market-place  at  Addis-Ababa, 
where  his  body  remained  until  the  vultures  had  carried 
it  away. 

The  Danakil  regards  the  destruction  of  his  enemies 
as  the  chief  object  in  life,  and  having  succeeded  in 
making  away  with  one,  he  is  pennitted  to  wear  an 
ostrich  feather  in  his  hair.  It  is  commonly  believed, 
moreover,  that  a  white  man  has  ten  times  the  value  of 
a  black  one  as  a  victim.  As  no  Danakil  can  marry 
until  he  has  killed  and  mutilated  his  man,  and  as  the 
number  of  men  thus  killed  has  a  direct  bearing  upon 
the  number  of  wives  which  he  may  take  unto  himself, 
the  ambition  to  kill  may  be  the  better  understood. 

It  was  a  relief  to  our  anxiety  when  off  in  the  dis- 
tance we  perceived  a  solitary  mule  approaching  at 
a  rapid  gait,  mounted  by  my  faithful  interpreter.  He 
was  much  excited,  and  said  that  there  had  been  a 
'battle,'  and  that  our  small  force  had  won.  It  was 
more  satisfactory  to  learn  that  they  would  shortly 
arrive.  They  did  arrive,  and  we  managed  to  piece 
out  the  whole  story. 

Old  Sali  had  put  the  Danakils  with  our  equipment, 
ammunition,  and  food-supply,  up  to  the  idea  of  loiter- 
ing until  our  main  party  had  gone  far  ahead,  with  the 
expectation  of  thereupon  veering  off  to  the  right  into 


HATCHING  A  CONSPIEACY  37 

their  own  territory.  It  was  their  intention  to  repose 
for  a  number  of  days  in  their  own  homes,  thus  com- 
pelling us,  if  their  plan  succeeded,  to  await  their 
pleasure,  and  to  submit  to  such  extortion  as  their  great 
numbers  and  our  weakness  might  render  possible. 

They  had  not  counted  upon  the  alertness  of  Captain 
Thorpe  and  the  bluejackets.  When  the  point  was 
reached  where  the  trails  separated  and  they  had  started 
to  the  right,  Captain  Thorpe  noticed  that  our  own 
tracks  led  to  the  left.  The  *  habane '  was  ordered  to 
halt,  but  declined  to  do  so  on  the  ground  that  he  knew 
the  road  and  required  no  suggestions.  Oualdo  son 
of  Mikael,  who  proved  to  be  the  hero  of  this  adven- 
ture, drew  his  revolver  and  threatened  all  manner  of 
things,  *  par  Mdn^lik,'  which  is  the  final  culminating 
explosive  threat  in  Ethiopia,  and  means  that,  if  the 
speaker  cannot  summarily  get  what  he  wants,  the 
Emperor  will  find  a  way  to  accomplish  the  desired 
end.  As  matters  now  looked  serious,  the  bluejackets, 
five  in  number,  were  ordered  to  load  and  prepare  for 
hostilities,  and  the  Somali  soldier  policeman  with  the 
rearguard  was  ordered  to  tie  the '  habane '  and  pack  him 
upon  a  camel.  While  the  order  was  being  executed, 
the  remaining  Danakils  left  their  camels  and  prepared 
to  rescue  their  chief.  Decidedly,  matters  were  looking 
black  for  an  expedition  organized  to  promote  amity 
and  commerce.  At  this  dramatic  juncture  the  female 
camel-drivers  howled  and  prayed  for  a  cessation  of  the 
disorder.  Between  their  entreaties  and  the  grim 
appearance  of  the  bluejackets,  the  '  habane  '  was  con- 
vinced of  the  error  of  his  way,  and  promised  to  be 
good.  He  was  thereupon  untied.  Upon  reaching 
camp  he  declared  that  he  now  understood  that  we 
meant  what  we  said,  and  knew  what  we  wanted,  and 


38  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

that  we  were  his  *  little  fathers '  and  the  hope  of  the 
country,  and  begged  that  now  he  had  decided  to  be 
good  we  woidd  give  him  a  ration  of  dates. 

Oualdo  son  of  Mikael  taxed  Sali,  who  stood  on  the 
outskirts  smiling  grimly,  with  having  planned  the 
entire  incident.  Both  were  much  excited,  the  old 
man  drawing  his  long  knife  and  Oualdo  his  pistol. 
It  was  by  a  happy  chance  that  a  real  drama  was 
averted.  That  night  our  men  slept  with  their  arms 
by  their  sides  and  the  sentries  were  increased,  and 
there  was  war-time  excitement  in  the  atmosphere. 

Our  Danakil  camel-drivers  were  almost  truculent 
on  the  following  morning.  They  loaded  promptly, 
but  complained  that  their  numbers  were  not  sufficient, 
and  that  they  had  really  desired  to  enter  their  own 
country  in  order  to  obtain  assistance.  The  *  habane  ' 
asked  for  the  loan  of  a  mule  in  order  to  send  to  his 
home  for  the  required  reinforcements,  which  could 
join  us  two  days  later.  This  seemed  reasonable,  and 
the  request  was  granted. 

We  had  now  entered  upon  our  fourth  day,  and 
after  a  long  and  wearisome  march,  camped  that  after- 
noon upon  an  eminence  overlooking  the  creek  of 
Ergotto-Momosa.  Forty-eight  hours  had  elapsed  since 
we  had  had  sufficient  water  for  bathing,  and  it  seemed 
as  though  we  had  reached  the  promised  land.  In  the 
village  close  at  hand,  composed  of  round  thatched 
huts,  lived  the  provincial  Governor,  Hadji  Mohamed, 
a  Moslem  of  the  best  type,  selected  by  the  Emperor 
to  keep  order  among  his  unruly  Danakil  subjects. 
He  called  upon  us  that  evening,  prefacing  his  visit  by 
the  gift  of  a  goat.  Hadji  Mohamed  advised  firm 
treatment  of  camel-men  in  general  and  Danakil  drivers 
in  particular. 


HADJI  MOHAMED'S  ADVICE  39 

*  Treat  tliem  as  a  father  would  Ms  child,'  advised 
the  Governor,  which  particular  form  of  treatment  was 
to  be  strictly  upon  Scriptural  lines,  and  also  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Koran.  Champagne  was  introduced 
and  tendered,  but  Hadji  Mohamed  decHned  it,  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  fasting.  He  had  brought  with 
him  our  young  Christian  friend  Atto  Bayane,  and 
delegated  him  to  drink  in  his  behalf.  The  Governor 
proved  to  be  a  plain,  sensible  man,  who  hoped  that 
his  fever  and  rheumatism  would  permit  him  to  offer 
us  some  elephant  or  leopard  shooting  upon  our 
return.  The  desert  was  usually  healthy,  he  said, 
but  in  the  rainy  season,  from  July  to  the  end  of 
September,  there  was  much  fever,  and  particularly  in 
that  locahty. 

The  following  day  we  camped  at  EUabella  under 
some  large  trees  near  two  old  wells,  the  use  of  which 
we  shared  with  several  thousand  cattle.  We  were 
still  apprehensive  concerning  the  attitude  of  our 
Danakil  camel-drivers,  and  inclined  to  question  our 
wisdom  in  sending  one  of  these  savages  back  to  their 
home  in  order  to  bring  on  the  needed  assistance. 
The  assistance  seemed  to  be  coming  too  numerously  for 
our  peace  of  mind.  It  was  evident  that  something  was 
brewing,  for  the  new  recruits  gathered  in  front  of  my 
tent,  and  squatting  themselves  in  a  semicircle,  opened 
their  palaver.  In  the  first  place,  the  lame,  the  halt, 
and  the  blind  were  produced,  and  consigned  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  Dr.  Pease.  The  doctor  had  great 
success,  but  confessed  afterwards  to  some  fear  of 
trouble  arising  on  his  own  account  upon  our  return, 
as  he  had  presented  one  patient  with  half  a  dozen 
strong  cathartic  pills,  with  instructions  to  take  one 
every   day.     The  patient   a   few  minutes   later   had 


40  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

reported  a  desire  to  accomplisli  a  quick  cure,  and  had 
therefore  takeu  the  six  at  once. 

The  palaver  with  the  camel-drivers,  which  was  long, 
resulted  in  the  explanation  that  our  camels  were  the 
property  of  the  King  of  their  tribe  of  Danakils,  Eley^, 
a  child  of  perhaps  thirteen  years,  and  as  unprepossess- 
ing a  youth  as  an  itching  palm  and  a  protruding  set 
of  upper  teeth,  which  were  sharpened  like  a  dog's, 
could  make.  This  King  Eley^  was  the  son  of  the 
great  King  of  that  name  who  had  died  in  prison,  as  I 
mentioned  before,  because  of  his  habit  of  taking  toll 
of  caravans. 

The  son  Eley^,  having  heard  of  our  arrival,  had 
come  with  his  followers  to  demand  tribute  of  us.  He 
said  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  country  to  pay 
tribute  to  him,  and  the  greater  the  traveller  the 
greater  should  be  the  tribute.  In  the  case  of  so  great 
a  person  as  my  Illustriousness,  it  was  bound  to  be 
considerable. 

All  this  was  irritating.  Yet  later  on,  when  I  had 
studied  out  the  matter,  the  idea  of  paying  tribute 
seemed  not  so  imjust  as  might  at  first  appear.  Like 
most  customs,  it  was  founded  upon  a  fair  claim  to 
compensation.  This  boy-King's  forefathers  had  found 
the  wells,  and  had  made  the  water  available.  The 
land  belonged  to  these  roaming  bands,  who  required 
both  the  land  and  the  little  water  for  their  cattle.  If 
the  stranger  passed  by,  and  desired  to  avail  himself  of 
their  water  and  their  forage,  why  should  he  not  pay  ? 
Water  rights  ever  have  been  a  source  of  vexation  and 
litigation.  We  were  all  for  rejecting  somewhat  scorn- 
fully the  pretensions  of  the  young  King,  advancing  the 
historical  proposition  that  we  had  millions  for  defence, 
but  not  a  cent  for  tribute.     In  point  of  fact,  we  had 


PEEPAEATIONS  FOR  A  MIDNIGHT  ATTACK        41 

neither.  We  had  175  rounds  of  ammunition  per  man, 
and  while  it  could  be  counted  upon  to  a  certain  point, 
could  it  protect  us  while  we  retreated  back  to  Dir^- 
Daouah  ? 

When  the  moon  rose  that  night,  it  was  evident  that 
our  Danakil  acquaintances  were  extremely  dissatisfied. 
Oualdo  son  of  Mikael  talked  gloomily  about  caravans 
that  had  been  delayed  for  months  for  non-payment 
of  tribute.  That  night  the  sentry  on  post  No.  1 
reported  that  a  savage  had  made  motions  with  his 
hands  from  across  a  dry  ravine,  from  which  he  had 
gathered  the  idea  that  this  man  and  eighty  of  his  kind 
were  coming  later  to  engage  in  battle.  This  sounded 
ominous,  and  instructions  were  issued  to  our  men  to 
be  ready  for  any  eventuality.  About  two  hours  later, 
while  our  limited  forces  were  soundly  asleep,  the  sentry- 
saw  two  savages  approaching,  and,  after  calling  upon 
them  to  halt,  fired.  That  one  shot  roused  the  camp  to 
instant  action.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  a 
guard  had  been  placed  by  our  officers  around  the 
camels  and  mules  to  prevent  a  stampede,  another 
around  the  Danakil  camel-drivers  to  prevent  them 
from  joining  in  any  possibly  concerted  movement,  and 
a  third  over  wary  old  Sali,  who  was  generally  believed 
to  be  the  author  of  all  our  troubles.  Sali  had  consorted 
all  that  afternoon  with  a  strange  man  from  the  desert. 
His  general  attitude  had  impressed  us  as  extremely 
suspicious  ;  so  he  was  told  that  in  case  of  the  slightest 
serious  difficulty  he  would  be  the  first  person  to  be 
shot,  whereat  Sali  was  immediately  upon  his  knees, 
protesting  that  he  was  only  an  old  man,  whose  heart's 
desire  was  to  be  allowed  to  go  peacefully  to  Ankober, 
to  end  his  few  remaining  days. 

In  case  of  the  worst  happening,  we  were  to  form  a 


42  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

circle,  face  outward,  and  hold  out  as  long  as  possible. 
In  the  meantime,  with  the  aid  of  Oualdo  son  of  Mikael 
explanations  were  sought  from  the  alleged  King  and 
his  followers,  who  were  passing  the  night  with  our 
camel  people.  They  were  all  shivering  with  fear, 
being  quite  unable  to  comprehend  why  the  soldiers 
had  been  called  out  towards  midnight  to  surround 
them.  It  appeared  that  the  individual  shot  at  was 
simply  one  of  the  reinforcements  sent  for  after  we  had 
left,  and  that  he  had  turned  up  a  little  later  than  the 
rest,  with  some  rope  required  for  the  better  securing 
of  the  camel  loads.  This  proved  to  be  a  strictly 
correct  version  of  the  facts,  but  vigilance  was  not 
immediately  relaxed. 

By  this  time  out  from  the  stillness  of  the  night 
we  heard  strange  sounds  as  of  many  voices,  and 
looking  over  the  crest  of  the  hill  at  the  base  of  which 
was  our  camp,  we  could  see  in  the  moonlight  many 
figures  moving  about.  This  new  cause  of  alarm 
suggested  the  probability  of  the  uprising  reported  as 
imminent  by  one  of  the  sentinels  early  in  the  evening. 
Volunteers  were  called  for  to  investigate,  and  as  all 
hands  responded,  a  detail  was  formed,  consisting  of 
fifteen  men,  to  beat  about  the  brush  of  the  surroimd- 
ing  country.  It  was  a  very  solemn  moment  when  this 
detail  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  in  Indian  file,  and 
it  seemed  hours  before  they  returned.  Melodrama 
was  now  succeeded  by  comedy,  for  the  mysterious 
enemy  on  the  hilltops  was  foimd  to  be,  not  bloodthirsty 
savages,  but  an  army  of  huge  monkeys,  disturbed  by 
the  sentinel's  gim-shot,  and  curious  to  know  what  was 
happening  in  the  hoUow  below.  It  was  their  chatter- 
ing that  we  had  mistaken  for  human  voices. 


a 


CHAPTER  V 

Royalty  joinB  the  American  Mission — A  steer  the  measure  of 
greatness — Night  journey  across  Mount  Asabot — The  only 
elephant — A  fantasia. 

The  boy-King  asked  permission  to  accompany  us 
to  Derebella  the  next  morning,  and  in  a  moment  of 
weakness  not  only  was  he  permitted  to  do  so,  but  was 
provided  with  a  mule.  The  most  vicious  animal  in 
our  possession  was  turned  over  to  him,  probably  with 
the  expectation  that  he  would  break  his  neck,  or  the 
mule.  Our  own  men  had  failed  to  do  the  latter.  To 
the  credit  of  the  alleged  King  be  it  said  that  he  stuck 
his  great  toes  into  the  rings  that  served  him  as 
stirrups,  and  the  mtde  acknowledged  allegiance 
immediately. 

Our  route  lay  across  beautiful  prairies,  upon  which 
members  of  our  party  shot  wild  guinea-fowl  and  other 
winged  game.  Private  Wurm  shot  a  wolf,  and  another 
one  of  our  men  a  fawn.  A  returning  caravan  was 
encountered,  and  when  the  superb  black  man  in 
charge  of  it  recognised  friends  among  our  domestics 
he  fired  his  rifle  in  the  air  several  times  to  adequately 
express  his  joy.  The  friends  kissed  each  other  upon 
the  lips.  On  several  occasions  when  Oualdo  son  of 
Mikael  met  acquaintances  they  always  descended  from 
their  mules,  bowed  low  as  they  approached,  and  then 

43 


44  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

embraced.  The  conversation  began  with  a  sort  of 
invocation  to  Providence  and  inquiries  after  all  mem- 
bers of  their  respective  families.  When  the  Ethiopian 
encounters  a  superior,  he  lowers  his  cliamma  from 
his  shoulders  before  speaking.  A  superior  is  always 
addressed  in  the  third  person,  and  if  high  respect 
is  to  be  paid  the  plural  form  of  the  third  person  is 
employed.  The  superior  alone  may  say  *  thee '  and 
*  thou,'  and  rarely  to  others  than  servants. 

At  Derebella  we  camped  a  long  distance  from  the 
wells,  and  had  barely  sufficient  water  for  cooking  pur- 
poses. We  found  here  a  grave  and  highly  respectable 
man  reading  the  Koran  in  his  compoimd.  He  was 
presented  as  a  relative  of  Hadji  Mohamed.  He 
appeared  not  to  have  any  other  identity.  The  com- 
pound, or  zeriba,  consisted,  as  did  most  of  those  we 
saw  in  the  desert,  of  two  concentric  circles  of  mimosa 
brush.  In  the  middle  the  owner  had  his  tent.  At 
night  the  cattle  were  driven  into  this  enclosure,  and 
guarded  against  the  incursions  of  wild  beasts.  The 
relative  of  Hadji  Mohamed  sent  me  a  goat  as  a  mark 
of  his  esteem,  and  then  came  himself  with  a  parcel  of 
ostrich  feathers.  Two  of  his  nephews  sent  a  quantity 
of  milk  in  hemp  jars.  The  milk,  by  the  way,  was 
sour,  as  it  usually  is.  The  natives  seem  only  to  care 
for  it  after  it  has  curdled.  At  this  point  we  took  leave 
of  the  King  Eley^,  who  in  lieu  of  tribute  accepted 
twenty  thalers  on  account,  in  his  capacity  as  owner  of 
the  camels.  Having  thus  satisfied  our  scruples  and 
the  avariciousness  of  the  potentate  of  the  desert  at  the 
same  time,  we  parted  in  peace. 

From  Derebella  to  Delado  we  continued  across  arid, 
stony  plains,  succeeded  by  a  richer  grassy  country,  in 
a  drenching  rain.    This  was  the  only  experience  of  the 


AREIVAL  AT  DELADO  45 

sort  wMcli  we  had  during  tlie  entire  duration  of  our 
visit.  Rubber  blankets,  or  ponchos,  saved  us  from 
serious  results,  but  the  consumption  of  quinine  that 
night  was  enormous.  A  spot  that  might  by  courtesy 
be  called  clean  was  vainly  sought  upon  the  arrival  of 
our  party  at  Delado.  Generations  of  camel-drivers 
had  camped  over  the  ground,  and  we  had  no  choice 
but  to  do  likewise.  There  was  some  satisfaction  in 
being  a  Commissioner  that  night,  inasmuch  as  it 
entitled  me  to  spread  upon  the  ground  the  one  canvas 
tent  floor  in  our  possession. 

Another  very  large  caravan,  consisting  of  at  least 
100  camels,  had  preceded  us,  being  piloted  by  the 
Governor  of  the  province,  as  it  contained  goods  for 
the  Emperor.  The  Governor,  a  fine  six-footer,  with 
large  rings  in  his  ears  and  a  fresh  white  toga,  or 
chamma,  draped  about  his  person,  called  at  once, 
with  a  gorgeous  Indian,  who  was  also  in  charge  of  the 
caravan.  The  Indian  detailed  his  bodily  woes  with 
great  minuteness,  and  was  turned  over  to  the  doctor. 
Our  tents  had  not  yet  been  put  up  when  the  Governor 
called,  and  although  he  seemed  not  to  mind  the  down- 
pour, I  did.  Small  talk  languished,  therefore,  as  he 
had  little  to  say  himself,  and  I  not  much  more.  After 
one  of  these  protracted  intervals  of  silence,  during 
which  we  had  regarded  each  other,  he  manifested 
solicitude  to  know  how  we  had  been  received  by  other 
Governors  en  route.     He  felt  his  way  carefully. 

'  I  would  despise  the  man  who  would  give  your 
Highness  a  sheep,'  he  said. 

*  Yes  ?'  I  replied. 

*  I  would  also  despise  the  man  who  would  give  your 
Highness  a  goat,'  he  added. 

It  may  be  stated  here  that  a  goat  is  much  more 


46  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

highly  esteemed  in  Ethiopia  than  a  sheep,  its  flesh 
being  more  tender  and  more  delicate. 

'  Yes,'  I  rejoined,  '  certainly.' 

'  Now,  a  steer  I  would  consider  a  fine  present.' 

*  Yes  ?' 

'  A  steer  is  about  as  fine  a  present  as  any  man  could 
expect.' 

*  Oh,  certainly.' 

*  You  see,  I  am  not  at  home  here.  I  live  over  that 
mountain.     I  have  some  very  fine  steers  over  there.' 

'Indeed?' 

*  Yes.  I  expect  to  send  one  to  your  Highness  the 
day  after  to-morrow.  Being  a  great  chief,  I  must  give 
your  Highness  a  great  present.  Yes,  your  Highness 
shall  have  a  steer.' 

We  camped  next  day  at  Moulu,  near  a  large  stream, 
and  on  the  day  following  at  Meso,  another  spot  quite 
as  attractive.  The  Governor,  true  to  his  word,  arrived 
in  the  afternoon,  followed  by  two  servants  leading 
a  fat  steer.  This  munificence  seemed  to  require  a 
prompt  expression  of  appreciation,  and  the  Governor 
was  withdrawn  from  his  retainers,  in  order  that  he 
might  choose  between  a  pile  of  twenty  thalers  and 
a  watch.  His  Excellency  chose  the  former,  as  he  did 
not  know  how  to  use  a  watch.  He  handed  the  silver 
to  a  servant  without  looking  at  it,  and  remarked  that 
it  was  one  of  the  satisfactions  of  being  a  great  chief, 
that  they  understood  one  another. 

Ahmed,  our  head  camel-driver,  gazed  longingly  at 
the  steer,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  it  might  be 
killed  by  a  Moslem,  as  such  a  course  would  permit 
him  to  partake  thereof.  Oualdo  son  of  Mikael,  being 
a  Christian  and  hungry,  remarked  : 

*  Ahmed,  you  are  a  glutton  !' 


NIGHT  JOUENEY  ACKOSS  MOUNT  ASABOT        47 

Ahmed  retorted  that  he  was  not,  and  added  :  *  To 
eat  and  sleep — that  is  life.' 

Oualdo  son  of  Mikael,  at  my  request,  asked  him  if 
he  had  no  pleasures  or  ambitions  ;  but  Ahmed's  philo- 
sophy of  living  was  simple,  and  he  reiterated  his 
remark.  He  had  no  pleasures  or  ambitions.  He 
desired  only  to  fight  the  Somalis.  Why  ?  He  did  not 
know ;  it  had  always  been  so,  and  it  always  would  be 
so  ;  it  was  fate. 

We  slept  that  December  night  under  what  the 
French  call  la  belle  etoile.  No  tents  were  erected, 
as  our  intention  was  to  leave  at  1  a.m.  We  had 
ahead  of  us  a  long  and  weary  climb  across  Mount 
Asabot  to  Laga-Arba  ('  River  of  the  Elephant ').  There 
was  not  a  drop  of  water,  so  far  as  we  knew,  between 
these  points,  distant  about  forty  miles.  ^\Tien  we 
returned  we  discovered  a  small  quantity  of  very  foul 
water,  about  midway,  in  the  clefts  of  some  rocks. 
Hot  coffee  was  served,  after  rising  at  midnight.  An 
Ita  guide  had  been  found  for  us  by  the  Governor.  He 
wore  an  ostrich  feather  in  his  hair  and  strode  on  ahead, 
the  caravan  following  as  best  it  could.  Lest  we  might 
lose  our  way,  it  was  agreed  that  there  should  be  no 
separation  of  any  portion  of  our  caravan  or  of  our 
party  until  dawn,  and  that  word  should  be  passed 
from  the  rear  of  the  column  to  the  head  whenever 
a  camel-load  should  require  readjustment  and  impose 
a  halt,  as  frequently  happened.  The  procession 
was  probably  a  mile  long,  and  a  weird  procession  it 
was  in  the  African  moonlight.  It  was  exceedingly 
cold,  and  everybody  walked,  more  or  less.  We 
moved  at  a  snail's  pace,  because  of  the  gait  of 
the  camels,  and  to  remain  awake  on  mule-back  was 
most  difficult.     The  servants  alone  seemed  to  enjoy 


48  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

the  journey,  and  they  sang  an  interminable  song  all 
the  way. 

By  dawn  we  were  in  a  sparse  forest  of  mimosa-trees. 
The  grazing  was  fine,  and  the  grass  fairly  alive  with 
game.  Several  deer  were  seen,  and  two  were  shot. 
Dr.  Pease  located  an  interesting  rock  in  the  distance, 
and,  calling  attention  to  it,  experienced  the  queer 
sensation  of  seeing  it  walk  off.  It  was  an  elephant. 
It  became  exceedingly  warm  after  the  snn  rose,  and 
by  noon,  having  been  twelve  hours  in  the  saddle,  we 
were  all  tired  and  thirsty.  The  escort  was  ordered 
to  halt  upon  an  eminence  overlooking  the  valley  of 
Arba ;  but  there  was  no  shade,  and  therefore  no 
repose.  Shortly  after  we  were  all  encamped  on  the 
river  bank — not  upon  the  spot  we  would  have  desired, 
but  upon  the  one  where  our  Arab  friends  unloaded 
their  camels.  These  camel-drivers  always  seemed  to 
be  looking  for  the  most  unprepossessing  places,  and 
having  found  them,  managed  to  discharge  their  loads 
and  drive  off  their  camels  before  they  could  be  stopped. 
Still,  there  were  large  trees,  and  the  river  was  at  our 
feet. 

We  passed  two  nights  upon  the  Arba  River.  The 
protracted  rest  was  celebrated  by  making  a  draft 
upon  our  small  stock  of  mineral  water  and  our  canned 
hash,  and  no  delicacies  of  an  effete  civilization  ever 
tasted  better.  As  we  feasted  our  thoughts  went  out 
gratefully  to  Chicago.  We  had  closely  adliered  to 
our  intention  of  drinking  nothing  but  boiled  water  up 
to  this  time,  and  as  much  of  it  was  muddy  and  of 
disagreeable  taste,  the  mineral  water  was  far  more 
acceptable  to  the  palate  than  would  have  been  cham- 
pagne. Of  the  latter  we  had  plenty,  but  nothing  less 
than  a  Governor  brought  it  out.     Europeans  in  India 


A  FANTASIA  49 

pretend  that  they  are  able  to  support  the  climate  only 
by  drinking  regularly  whisky-and-water.  My  own 
observation  is  that  in  the  desert  very  little  appetite 
manifests  itself  for  alcoholic  stimulants.  Whisky  we 
kept  on  hand  for  medicinal  purposes,  but  habitually 
we  drank  strong  coffee  in  the  morning  and  tea  at 
night. 

The  Danakil  camel-drivers,  who  by  this  time  were 
professing  respect  and  affection  for  our  persons,  had 
devoted  the  day  of  rest  to  the  rehearsal  of  a  fantasia, 
or  dance,  which  took  place  during  the  evening  in  front 
of  my  tent.  The  dancing-party  formed  a  circle  and 
set  up  a  weird  chanting  and  stamping,  which  promised 
to  continue  indefinitely,  until  the  elderly  man  who 
appeared  to  be  reciting  the  thread  of  the  story 
dropped  upon  the  ground  with  his  head  between  his 
hands  and  refused  to  go  on.  Allasman,  one  of  the 
Somali  servants,  who  pretended  to  speak  English, 
offered  this  explanation : 

*He  sing  song,  big  chief  who  kill,  much,  much, 
much.  He  no  sing  more,  parce  que,  his  head  burn, 
burn,  burn.  If  he  sing  more,  he  go  sick,  sick, 
sick.' 

Old  Oria,  the  Somali  policeman,  stepped  into  the 
breach  by  giving  a  representation  of  a  hyena  robbing 
a  grave.  Oria  had  been  a  very  dignified  personage 
up  to  this  point,  and  I  confess  to  a  mild  regret  at  thus 
finding  him  out  of  his  character.  How  many  able 
men  have  somehow  fallen  in  public  esteem  by  ven- 
turing upon  the  recital  of  an  amusing  story,  or  by  the 
delivery  of  a  supposedly  funny  speech  ! 

These  SomaK  policemen  were  faithful  as  the  day 
is  long.  There  were  three  of  them,  and  they  had 
been  assigned  to  our  party  by  the  Ras  Makonnen, 

4 


50  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

who  said  that  we  would  have  need  of  them  in  order 
to  facilitate  our  dealings  with  the  native  chiefs  in  the 
desert,  and  that  they  could  be  relied  upon  for  any 
purpose.  He  also  told  them  that  they  were  upon  no 
account  to  permit  any  harm  to  befall  any  member 
of  our  party,  and  that  if  any  harm  did  befall  any 
Anaerican,  the  same  fate  would  be  visited  upon  the 
negligent  policeman  who  allowed  it.  They  never 
forgot  for  ten  seconds  their  responsibility,  and,  speak- 
ing for  myself,  I  may  say  that  until  we  reached  Addis- 
Ababa  there  never  was  a  moment  when  there  was  not 
a  Somali  policeman  within  100  feet  of  me,  looking 
discreetly  into  the  distance,  but  always  knowing  what 
was  going  on. 

The  Governor  of  Laga-Arba  dutifully  called  upon 
me  with  a  band  of  twenty  stalwart  men  armed  with 
spears,  who  stood  back  of  him  and  nodded  approvingly 
to  the  words  of  wisdom  bandied  back  and  forth.  The 
Governor  was  presented  with  a  watch,  which  he  looked 
upon  with  interest,  and  then  turned  over  to  his  staff, 
who  passed  it  from  one  to  another,  listening  in  a 
mystified  manner  to  its  tick,  and  then  inquiring  of 
their  chief  its  practical  use.  A  small  portable  electric 
light  was  shown  to  the  same  Governor,  and  was 
regarded  by  him  and  his  followers  as  little  less  than 
a  work  of  enchantment. 

The  Governor,  here  as  elsewhere,  was  accompanied 
by  the  sick  people  of  his  district.  These  poor 
people  understand  enough  about  foreign  caravans 
to  know  that  there  is  usually  a  physician,  or  at 
least  supplies  of  medicine,  with  the  party,  and  they 
have  child-like  confidence  in  the  power  of  both  to 
cure.  At  Laga-Arba  the  Governor  himself  desired 
his  hearing  restored.     He  said   that  an  insect  had 


AN  ANCIENT  EAR- WIG  51 

crawled  inside  his  ear,  and  was  still  there.  Upon 
pressing  the  inquiry,  it  was  ascertained  that  the 
incident  mentioned  had  occurred  fifteen  years  before. 
The  Governor  seemed  to  think  that  there  should 
still  be  some  means  of  removing  the  insect  and  of 
effecting  an  immediate  cure. 


4—2 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  plains  of  Mount  Fantall6 — Atto  Paulos — The  durgo  arrives 
— Hospitality  by  law. 

The  next  morning  we  were  off  betimes  across  beauti- 
ful grass-covered  plains,  with  Mount  Fantall^  in  the 
distance.  After  a  marcb  of  four  or  five  hours,  we 
caught  our  first  glimpse  of  the  telephone  poles  which 
mark  the  road  between  the  capital  and  Harrar.  Five 
minutes  later  we  were  upon  the  King's  highway,  out 
of  the  desert,  and  in  Menelik's  hereditary  kingdom  of 
Choa.  When  one  has  been  for  ten  days  cut  off  from 
every  vestige  of  civilization  and  among  impossible 
savages,  the  first  sight  of  even  a  telephone  pole  evokes 
the  joy  one  feels  upon  finding  one's  self  among  old 
friends.  From  this  point  we  travelled  along  the  main 
road  in  Abyssinia,  and  encountered  frequent  caravans, 
usually  mule  caravans,  laden  with  hides,  coffee,  and 
ivory.  We  had  proceeded  not  more  than  five  miles, 
when  we  passed  under  a  tree  from  which  was  still 
suspended  the  head-rest  and  gourd  which  had  been 
placed  there  with  the  body  of  some  imfortunate  male- 
factor who  had  been  hanged  for  his  sins.  The  vultures 
had  done  the  rest. 

Camp  was  made  upon  a  beautiful  spot  on  the  banks 
of  the  sparkling  stream  of  Katchinhaha.  Our  able- 
bodied    secretary  of    the   mission   and  most   skilful 

63 


THE  PLAINS  OF  MOUNT  FANTALLfi  53 

sportsman,  Mr.  Wales,  distinguished  himself  at  this 
point  by  bringing  low  a  very  large  oryx,  after  an 
exciting  chase.  The  woimded  beast,  after  receiving 
a  nmnber  of  balls,  showed  fight  until  the  last,  lowering 
its  horns  and  making  a  final  desperate  dash  towards 
its  aggressors,  who  finally  despatched  it  with  their 
pistols. 

The  Abyssinian  boys  decided  that  Katchinhaha 
would  be  a  favourable  place  for  a  fantasia  of  their 
own,  which  should  be  distinctly  superior  to  that  of 
the  Danakils,  and  it  was.  They  sang  the  '  Song  of  the 
Elephant,'  which  we  had  heard  at  Harrar,  with  frequent 
alarming  discharges  of  a  rifle  and  energetic  demon- 
strations with  the  same,  even  more  terrifying  than 
the  explosions.  It  has  not  yet  ceased  to  be  a  cause 
of  wonderment  to  me  that  we  all  escaped  from  our 
adventures  with  no  serious  hurt  from  the  unexpected 
discharge  of  fire-arms.  The  fantasia  was  very  pro- 
tracted, and  included  long  recitatives,  consisting  of 
plays  upon  words,  of  which  the  Abyssinians  are  ex- 
tremely fond.  The  Abyssinian  youth  can  sit  for  hours 
making  puns,  which  evoke  loud  outbursts  of  mirth 
from  his  fellow-kind ;  but  from  such  explanations  as 
I  was  able  to  procure,  these  jokes  seemed  to  be  devoid 
of  real  humour. 

There  was  now  before  us  the  longest  and  most 
trying  stage  of  the  journey.  The  Ha  wash  plain  and 
the  Fantall^  range  have  an  evil  reputation  in  Ethiopia, 
as  the  sun  beats  down  mercilessly  upon  an  absolutely 
unshaded  trail,  and  the  long  stretch  before  the  Kassan 
River  is  reached  is  without  water,  except  such  as  may 
sometimes  be  found  in  the  crevices  of  certain  rocks. 
At  two  hours'  distance  from  Katchinhaha  is  the 
Hawash  River,  one  of  the  largest  streams  in  Abys- 


54  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

sinia.  Then  six  hours  farther  on  one  finds  an  exposed 
rocky  floor,  in  the  crevices  of  which  a  certain  amount 
of  rainfall  is  retained  until  evaporated  or  consumed ; 
and  then,  again,  a  six  hours'  journey  brings  one  to 
the  beautiful  camping-ground  called  Tadechemalka, 
on  the  Kassan  River. 

There  being  no  longer  the  slightest  occasion  for  the 
party  to  remain  together  for  prudential  reasons,  we 
now  rode  in  groups,  as  fancy  might  direct.  The  only 
rule  of  the  road  seemed  to  be  that  one  of  the  Somali 
policemen  should  lead  the  advance  party,  and  that 
one  should  bring  up  the  rear  with  Oualdo  son  of 
Mikael,  whose  powers  as  an  interpreter  were  required 
to  settle  such  small  difficulties  as  might  arise.  We 
reached  the  Ha  wash  River  in  good  season,  half  of  the 
party  descending  the  steep  and  high  banks  and 
fording  the  river.  Farther  up  there  was  a  bridge,  over 
which  the  camels  and  the  other  half  of  the  party 
crossed  several  hours  later.  There  are  a  number  of 
such  bridges  in  Ethiopia,  constructed  by  European 
engineers,  but  when  the  streams  are  fordable  they  are 
usually  closed  to  traffic  by  piles  of  mimosa  brush. 
We  had  been  told  that  the  '  dildil,'  as  bridges  are 
called,  had  been  closed  in  this  way,  and  hence  most 
of  the  men  sought  the  ford.  Many  caravans  ex- 
perience everything  short  of  tragedy  in  crossing  the 
Hawash,  and  we  ourselves  had  troubles  which  seemed 
very  serious  at  the  time,  although  everything  turned 
out  in  good  order  at  the  end  of  the  day. 

The  remainder  of  the  stage  was  across  the  level 
plain.  Even  the  dark  blue  spectacles  which  several 
of  us  wore  failed  to  more  than  temper  the  white, 
blinding  sunlight.  We  were  now  in  the  richest 
game  country  between  the  coast  and  the  capital.     We 


THE  PLAINS  OF  MOUNT  FANTALLE  55 

saw  gazelles  and  antelopes  frequently  in  groups  of 
four  to  a  dozen,  and  when  we  returned  two  months 
later  to  this  point  we  saw  whole  regiments  of  ante- 
lopes within  range  of  our  trail.  To  the  right  of  our 
route  lay  the  huge  mountain  range,  in  the  rocky 
fastnesses  of  which  is  hidden  the  ancient  city  of 
Ankober.  Numerous  caravans  of  apparently  inter- 
minable length  crept  towards  us  along  the  Ankober 
trail.  At  another  point  we  found  a  herd  of  from 
five  to  six  thousand  female  camels  grazing  under  the 
supervision  of  a  few  herdsmen.  The  female  camels 
are  very  seldom  used  as  beasts  of  burden,  being 
carefully  cared  for  and  employed  for  breeding 
purposes. 

Interesting  as  the  day  was  in  some  respects,  it 
seemed  as  if  it  would  never  end,  and,  indeed,  it  was 
five  o'clock  before  we  were  all  reunited  on  Fantalle,  a 
few  yards  removed  from  the  rocks  where  we  found 
the  promised  water-supply.  There  was  still  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  shockingly  foul  water  left  over 
from  the  rainy  season  in  the  hollows  of  the  rocks  ; 
but,  bad  as  it  was,  the  native  servants  knelt  down  and 
lapped  it  up  from  their  hands  eagerly.  The  next  day 
more  than  one  of  them  shivered  and  moaned  in  great 
pain,  and  then  recovered  almost  as  quickly.  Rather 
more  fastidious  than  our  servants,  we  sought  rocks 
above  the  caravan  trail,  and  found  some  comparatively 
clean  water,  which,  being  carefully  boiled  and  strained, 
was  harmless,  if  not  palatable. 

As  we  had  been  climbing  gradually  all  day  long,  it 
became  very  cold  as  soon  as  the  sun  had  set.  Having 
now  reached  the  altitude  where  wood  was  really 
needed,  little  or  none  was  to  be  found.  There  were 
to  be  no  more  generous  camp-fires  around  which  our 


56  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

servants  could  sleep,  and  how  they  stood  the  low 
temperatures  was  incomprehensible.  They  wore 
nothing  but  cotton  garments,  and  although  most  of 
them  had  blankets,  many  had  preferred  to  retain 
their  blanket-money,  and  to  keep  warm  as  best  they 
could.  Somehow  they  managed  to  huddle  together 
in  their  chammas,  and  turned  out  in  the  morning 
after  an  apparently  refreshing  and  warm  night's 
slumber. 

The  ascent  from  the  Hawash  River  had  been  so 
arduous  that,  in  spite  of  the  extremely  unfavourable 
character  of  our  Fantalle  camping-groimd,  neither 
Arab  nor  Danakil  felt  like  moving  on  early  next 
morning.  Before  dawn  the  camels  were  driven  out 
of  the  centre  of  the  camp,  where  they  invariably  slept, 
ostensibly  to  do  a  little  grazing  before  loading-time. 
Though  the  pasturage  was  fine,  the  assigned  motive 
was  only  a  pretext.  Our  Danakil  friends  were  really 
trying  to  trick  us  out  of  starting.  About  breakfast- 
time  they  alleged  that  the  camels  had  been  *  lost,' 
and  suggested  that  we  might  just  as  well  settle 
down  for  the  day.  This  version  was  allowed  to  pass 
for  an  hour  or  two,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  Oualdo  son  of  Mikael,  a  little  mild  force  was 
employed.  There  being  a  suppressed  feud  constantly 
on  between  the  Abyssinian  and  the  Danakil,  three  of 
the  Abyssinian  servants  were  only  too  delighted  to 
be  ordered  to  drag  the  head  camel-man  off  in  the 
direction  where  the  camels  were  supposed  to  be,  and 
in  the  meantime  the  military  escort  was  mustered, 
rifles  loaded,  and  so  disposed  as  to  seem  very  threaten- 
ing indeed.  Before  this  evidence  of  determination 
the  Danakil  drivers  yielded,  and  *  found '  the  camels 
as  quickly  and  easily  as  they  had  lost  them.     They 


ATTO  PAULOS  67 

succeeded,  however,  in  compelling  us  to  travel,  as 
usual,  during  tlie  heat  of  the  day. 

A  fine  and  comfortable  camping  -  ground  was 
reached  well  after  mid  -  day  on  the  banks  of  the 
Kassan  River.  The  place  was  called  Tadechemalka. 
There  was  no  town — there  rarely  is  in  Ethiopia  ;  the 
names  merely  represent  definite  points  on  the  route. 
Tadechemalka  has  the  reputation  of  being  malarial, 
but  we  experienced  no  difficulty  under  that  head. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  were  travelling  during  the 
most  favourable  season.  A  month  earlier,  or  three 
months  later,  we  would  not  have  escaped  so  easily. 

Atto  Paulos,  Governor  of  Baltchi,  a  town  still 
several  days  ahead,  happened  to  be  camping  near 
by,  and  caUed  in  the  evening,  with  four  sheep  and 
as  many  goats,  and  renewed  his  visit  in  the  morning, 
when  he  brought  several  jars  of  tallo,  or  native  beer. 
It  was  our  first  opportunity  to  drink  beer,  and  all 
agreed  in  thinking  it  less  palatable  than  mead  or 
'  tedj.'  Atto  Paulos  was  extremely  polite,  saying  that, 
having  entered  the  kingdom  of  Choa,  we  were  now 
the  guests  of  the  Emperor,  and  that  orders  had 
been  issued  to  all  the  chiefs  to  receive  us  with  the 
traditional  hospitality  of  the  kingdom.  It  seemed  as 
though  we  had  been  receiving  hospitality  everywhere 
along  the  route,  and  the  promise  of  the  *  traditional 
hospitality '  of  the  kingdom  sounded  formidable,  as 
it  proved  indeed  to  be.  It  meant  that,  aside  from 
civilities  and  courtesies,  the  right  of  durgo  had  been 
extended  in  our  favour.  This  is  an  essentially 
Ethiopian  custom,  and  merits  explanation. 

There  are  no  hotels  in  the  empire  other  than  the 
few  created  by  Europeans  in  two  or  three  prominent 
centres,    and   as   there   are    very   few    markets,   the 


68  ABYSSINIA  OP  TO-DAY 

traveller  would   fare  ill  without   some   special  pro- 
vision of  law  for  his  benefit.      Having  entered  the 
kingdom  as  guests  of  the  Emperor,  we  had  now  the 
right  in  law  to  demand  supplies  and  provisions  of  the 
inhabitants,  who  in  turn  obtained   some  slight  con- 
cession of  the  tax-gatherers  when  able  to  show  that 
they  had  obeyed  the  law  enjoining  hospitality.     It  is 
frequently  the  case  that  the  right  to  durgo  is  abso- 
lutely essential  to  the  welfare  of  travellers,  and  it 
must  be  said  that  inhabitants  respond  to  appeals  with 
much  more  alacrity  than  might  be  expected.     In  our 
own  case  we    had    come    provided    with  abundant 
supplies  for  our  men,  and  really  required  little  or 
nothing.     The  daily  arrival  of  the  *  hospitality '  was, 
nevertheless,  an  event  of  much   solemnity,  and   the 
occasion  of  great  rejoicings  among  the  servants,  who 
gorged  themselves  on  the  food  which  we  were  utterly 
imable  to  consume.    In  the  rich  agricultural  provinces 
a  procession  of  as  many  as  forty  people  would  arrive 
towards  sundown,  leading  steers,  sheep,  and  goats, 
and   carrying   baskets   of    eggs,   bread,   barley,    and 
jars  of  mead,   curdled   milk,   and  beer,   and  in  the 
treeless  regions  bundles   of  fagots.     Elsewhere   the 
choum,  or   headman  of   the   village,  would   bring   a 
single  sheep  or  goat,  with  a  thousand  apologies  for 
his  inability  to  do  more.     Etiquette  and  law  required 
that  something  should  be  brought,  and  a  scarcely  less 
inexorable  law  imposed  upon  the  stranger  the  necessity 
of  recognising  the  gift  in  a  tangible  manner.     The 
exchange  of  gifts,  a  custom  handed  down  through  the 
ages,  is  always  accompanied  by  many  polite  expres- 
sions on  both  sides.  The  Abyssinians  are  an  extremely 
ceremonious  people,  possessed  of  an  innate  courtesy 
which  in  many  aspects  is  most  admirable. 


THE  DUEGO  AEEIVES  59 

It  was  to  no  purpose  that  we  sometimes  protested 
against  receiving  this  largess  ;  the  grave  and  polite 
headman  invariably  said  that  the  law  enjoined  the 
delivery  of  food  to  the  nation's  guests,  and  the  law 
must  be  obeyed.  After  a  time  we  resigned  ourselves 
to  this  overflowing  kindness,  accepting  whatever  came 
to  hand,  and  doing  as  best  we  could.  When  we  left 
Addis-Ababa  we  had,  if  my  memory  is  not  at  fault, 
ten  steers  and  fifty  sheep  and  goats  that  we  had  not 
needed,  and  were  obliged  to  give  away.  Indeed,  our 
compound  at  Addis-Ababa  bore  some  faint  resem- 
blance at  all  times  during  our  stay  to  the  Chicago 
stock-yards. 

Our  first  experience  with  the  durgo  occurred  at 
Choba,  which  we  reached  after  a  hard  and  long  climb 
from  Tadechemalka.  It  was  reported  that  certain 
reservoirs  of  water  existed  here  for  the  benefit  of  thirsty 
travellers,  but  the  only  one  we  saw  was  dry,  and  the 
nearest  river  was  three  miles  away.  A  few  jars  of 
the  precious  liquid,  enough  for  cooking  purposes, 
were  brought  to  us,  and  when  more  was  wanted  it 
was  found  that  the  jar  itself,  which  had  journeyed 
several  times  to  the  river,  had  been  cracked.  Sancho 
Panza  said  that,  whether  the  well  goes  to  the  jar  or 
the  jar  to  the  well,  the  jar  always  comes  home  with  a 
broken  nose.  The  broken  jar  in  Ethiopia  is  rather 
more  serious.     There  was  plenty  of  tedj,  however  ! 

When  the  hospitality  arrived,  in  charge  of  a  brother 
of  Atto  Paulos,  it  included  gallons  of  this  beverage, 
sheep  and  goats,  and  native  bread  in  the  form  of  thin 
cakes  of  tefE  meal.  The  bread  resembled  gigantic 
buck-wheat  cakes,  and  if  one  can  imagine  a  cold  and 
very  sour  buck-wheat  cake,  the  taste  of  this  bread  can 
be  approximated  in  imagination.     The  director  of  the 


60  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

customs  then  appeared  with  several  loaves  of  wheat 
bread,  made  of  whole-wheat  flour  ground  in  a  mortar. 
The  director  of  the  telephone-station  brought  barley 
for  the  mules.  These  gifts  were  duly  inspected,  pro- 
noimced  good,  and  turned  over  to  the  men.  Every- 
thing was  regulated  according  to  the  protocol  of 
Oualdo  son  of  Mikael.  The  proprieties  required  that 
the  hospitality  should  be  received,  together  with  an 
accurate  statistical  return  thereof,  and  that  servants 
should  be  on  hand  to  take  immediate  charge  of  the 
objects  brought  and  to  remove  them  from  sight. 
Anything  short  of  this  might  be  construed  as  a  lack 
of  appreciation.  It  took  a  number  of  days  before 
we  could  get  our  protocol  into  working  order. 

As  this  was  the  first  telephone-station  on  our  route, 
it  was  decided  to  send  a  few  messages  to  inquiring 
friends.  It  was  December  13,  and  we  had  been  out 
of  touch  with  the  great  world  for  two  weeks.  The 
telephone  director  was  amiability  itself.  He  *  allooed  ' 
vigorously  in  our  behalf,  but  M.  Michael,  the  very 
capable  gentleman  in  charge  at  Harrar,  was  absent, 
it  being  Sunday,  and  communication  could  not  be 
established.  Expedients  were  proposed,  but  as  the 
director  could  read  neither  English,  French,  nor 
Amharic,  it  was  only  possible  to  give  him  the  message 
by  word  of  mouth,  in  the  hope  that  he  would  retain  it, 
and  transmit  it  on  the  following  day.  The  Ethiopian 
memory  was  not  as  good  as  the  Ethiopian  intention, 
for  the  pleasant  little  man  forgot  entirely  all  that  he 
had  been  charged  to  say.  A  month  later,  when  we 
were  returning,  he  was  reminded  of  his  remissness, 
whereupon  he  offered  to  send  the  message  immediately 
if  it  were  repeated  to  him. 

We  next  entered  the  fertile  and  magnificent  province 


MINNEBELLA  61 

of  Mindjar.  Vast  expanses  of  well-cultivated  fields, 
which  yield  two  and  three  crops  per  year,  spread  out 
before  us,  and  there  were  sleek  cattle  and  prosperous- 
looking  villagers  everywhere.  Some  of  the  thrashing 
scenes  were  most  picturesque.  In  some  cases  the 
straw  is  strewn  about  a  small  area,  and  beaten  with 
flails,  but  the  usual  process  seemed  to  be  to  drive 
cattle  over  it  in  a  circle. 

After  Choba,  we  stopped  at  Minnebella,  at  a  point  a 
little  off  from  the  highway,  and  by  the  side  of  a  large 
reservoir  filled  with  water  of  fair  quality.  Corporal 
Wood  was  bitten  by  a  spider  at  this  spot,  and 
caused  no  end  of  anxiety.  Steward  Fearnley  aroused 
Dr.  Pease  shortly  after  midnight,  and  between  the 
two  by  morning  the  gravest  danger  was  averted. 
The  sick  man  remained  behind  for  several  hours, 
joining  us  at  Baltchi  in  the  afternoon.  The  country 
people  gathered  in  large  numbers  to  see  our  departure 
from  Minnebella ;  among  others,  a  local  minstrel,  who 
accompanied  himself  on  a  one-stringed  lute.  I  under- 
stand that  he  sang  a  song  in  our  praise,  announcing 
that  the  Americans  had  come  to  conquer  the  world 
with  their  kindness,  repeating  the  theme  with  many 
variations.  As  music  it  was  unspeakably  bad,  and 
as  the  expected  reward  was  not  forthcoming,  the 
troubadour  amended  his  praises,  first  converting  them 
into  lamentations,  and,  as  we  rode  off  in  the  distance, 
execrating  us  as  cordially  as  he  had  lauded  us  at 
the  beginning.  These  minstrels  are  frequently  en- 
countered, and,  like  the  beggar  children  of  Europe, 
know  perfectly  well  that  they  are  public  nuisances, 
and  expect  to  be  bribed  into  giving  their  victims 
peace. 

Not  far  from  Minnebella  we  passed  the  first  church 


62  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

we  had  seen  since  leaving  Harrar.  It  looked  some- 
thing like  the  picture  of  the  Chinese  pagoda  upon  the 
willow-pattern  plate.  It  was  round  in  form,  as  are 
all  the  Abyssinian  churches,  which  tradition  says  are 
constructed  with  some  sort  of  resemblance  to  Solomon's 
temple.  Either  the  resemblance  must  be  poor,  or  the 
popular  impression  respecting  Solomon's  temple  is 
far  astray.  All  of  our  Abyssinian  servants  bowed 
reverently  when  we  passed  the  church,  some  of  them 
kissing  the  soil  and  some  the  wooden  gateway. 

In  the  distance  the  mountain  of  Baltchi  loomed  up 
before  us,  and  seemed  to  recede  as  we  advanced.  A 
village  of  the  same  name  occupies  a  plateau  upon  the 
top  of  the  mountain  which  is  2,000  feet  above  its 
approach  from  the  Harrar  side.  The  mountain  itself 
constitutes  a  natural  fortification  apparently  im- 
pregnable. How  such  a  stronghold  could  be  stormed 
successfully  is  difficult  to  understand.  True,  Lord 
Napier  in  the  early  sixties  found  a  way  to  Magdala, 
where  the  Emperor  Theodore  made  his  last  stand,  but 
the  defenders  of  that  period  were  scarcely  capable  of 
making  an  effective  resistance.  An  invading  army 
to-day  would  find  all  the  difficulties  which  the  British 
encountered  in  the  Transvaal,  multiplied  manyfold  by 
the  mountainous  conditions.  Recently  there  has  been 
one  small  example  of  protracted  fighting  on  the  part 
of  the  Mad  Mullah  in  Somahland.  This  individual, 
with  a  half-organized  and  indifferently-anned  anny, 
defied  the  best  efforts  of  a  strong  British  force,  aided 
by  an  Abyssinian  division.  To  reach  Ethiopia  to-day 
an  invading  army  would  have  first  to  cross  400  miles 
of  desert,  taking  chances  of  finding  water  en  route, 
and  then,  in  a  probably  depleted  and  worn-out  state, 
would  have  to  fight  laboriously  along  mountain  trails 


HOSPITALITY  BY  LAW  63 

wluch.  are  found  and  followed  with  difficulty  in  times 
of  peace.  To  administer  such  an  empire,  which  has 
enjoyed  thousands  of  years  of  independence,  would 
be  even  more  difficult.  I  once  commented  on  these 
physical  facts  to  the  Ras  Makonnen,  who  agreed  with 
me,  and  added  significantly  :  '  We  have  had  our  in- 
dependence a  long  time  :  we  shall  keep  it.' 

A  stream  of  water  flows  around  the  base  of  Mount 
Baltchi ;  and,  as  usual,  our  caravan  people  desired  to 
stop  here,  rather  than  climb  to  the  height  above, 
where  we  would  be  able  to  secure  a  good  start  in  the 
morning.  We  had  insisted  upon  having  our  own  way 
in  this  case,  and  were  tranquilly  toiling  along  the 
precipitous  route,  when  a  horseman  appeared  upon 
the  plain  below,  trying  to  overtake  us,  and  frantically 
waving  at  us.  He  eventually  overtook  us,  and  an- 
nounced that  he  came  as  the  representative  of  the 
Governor,  who  had  been  caught  napping,  and  had 
allowed  us  to  get  by  his  frontier  without  knowing  that 
we  had  done  so.  It  seems  that  Baltchi  is  in  one  province, 
ruled  over  by  Atto  Paulos,  our  friend  of  Tadechemalka, 
and  the  country  below  in  another.  The  Governor  of 
the  lowland  had  been  ordered  to  receive  us  royally,  and 
now  we  had  crossed  over  the  line  into  the  territory  of 
his  colleague. 

'  He  says,'  urged  the  courier,  '  that  you  cannot  go 
on ;  that  by  the  Emperor's  orders  you  are  to  camp 
below  ;  that,  therefore,  you  must  camp  below  ;  that  if 
you  go  on  the  "  hospitality  "  will  be  ruined.' 

I  appreciated  the  difficulties  of  the  Governor.  He 
had  his  constituents  and  his  public  opinion  to  face  too. 
He  had  doubtless  spent  days  gathering  barley,  bread, 
tedj,  and  eggs  from  his  people  for  our  subsistence, 
and  here  we  were,  going  right  through  his  dominions. 


64  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Excuses  and  thanks  were  sent  back  to  the  Governor. 
It  was  impracticable  that,  we  should  camp  below ;  to 
do  so  meant  the  loss  of  a  day.  As  a  happy  com- 
promise, it  was  suggested  that,  if  the  '  hospitality ' 
must  be  delivered,  it  might  be  sent  up  to  Baltchi,  and 
presented  with  that  probably  being  organized  by 
Atto  Paulos.  This  idea  was  accepted,  and  declared 
quite  as  remarkable  as  that  of  Columbus  in  putting 
an  egg  on  end.  Joy  was  painted  on  the  countenances 
of  our  Ethiopian  friends,  whose  chief,  Atto  Hugo, 
arrived  later  in  state,  and  solemnly  presented  two 
hundred  disks  of  bread,  carried  by  five  men,  five  jars 
of  milk,  four  jars  of  beer,  two  chickens,  twenty  eggs, 
and  five  goats. 


CHAPTER  Vn 

Conferring  an  American  decoration — A  province  where  silver  and 
gold  do  not  circulate — Foiling  another  conspiracy. 

Scarcely  had  the  Atto  Hugo  been  received  and  dis- 
missed than  the  '  hospitality '  of  Baltchi  appeared,  con- 
sisting of  366  disks  of  bread,  67  eggs,  7  chickens, 
5  bales  of  barley,  5  bales  of  straw,  and  5  bundles  of 
wood.  Finally  came  the  personal  gifts  of  Atto  Paulos 
himself,  consisting  of  32  disks  of  bread,  6  chickens, 
and  10  eggs.  The  bearers  of  these  presents  arrived 
about  sunset,  laid  them  down  at  equal  distances  apart, 
and  when  Oualdo  son  of  Mikael  had  transmitted  the 
thanks  of  the  mission,  they  bowed  to  the  ground  and 
disappeared. 

Earlier  in  the  afternoon  Atto  Paulos  had  paid  a 
protracted  visit,  and  talked  in  a  lively  manner  about 
his  country.  He  was  in  favour  of  progress,  he  said, 
but  on  the  condition  that  it  did  not  result  in  the  loss  of 
national  independence.  The  strangers  were  becoming 
too  numerous  to  altogether  suit  him,  and  were  tending 
to  corrupt  the  people,  who  were  simple  in  character 
and  easily  deluded.  Friendship  was  sealed  by  the 
presentation  on  my  part  to  the  Atto  Paulos  of  a  large 
American  flag.  The  Governor  seemed  much  touched, 
and  after  being  told  what  the  forty-five  stars  and 
thirteen  stripes  stood  for,  he  said,  bowing  to  the  earth 

as  he  did  so  : 

66  5 


66  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

*  I  appreciate  this  more  than  anything  you  could 
give  me.  It  is  the  proudest  decoration  I  could  possibly 
own.  I  shall  ask  the  Emperor  for  the  right  to  accept 
it,  as  we  cannot  accept  anything  of  this  sort  without 
authorization,  and  he  will  say  "yes."  Then  I  shall 
wear  it  about  my  shoulders  every  feast-day.' 

The  forefathers  thought,  I  suppose,  when  they  wrote 
the  American  Constitution,  that  then,  for  the  first  time, 
organic  law  prevented  the  acceptance  of  honours  and 
titles  from  abroad  without  the  consent  of  the  governing 
power  ;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  ancient  empire  of 
Abyssinia  has  been  doing  the  same  thing  for  a  thousand 
years,  more  or  less. 

At  Baltchi  communication  by  telephone  was  had 
with  M.  L^on  Chefneux,  the  able  foreign  adviser  or 
Counsellor  of  State  of  the  Emperor.  M.  Chefneux's 
cordial  manner  increased  our  desire  to  hurry  on  to  the 
capital.  It  was  agreed  that  we  should  camp,  after 
leaving  Baltchi,  at  Chaffee  Dunsa  and  Akaki,  and 
thence  proceed  to  Shola — a  spring  just  this  side  of 
Addis-Ababa,  where  M.  Chefneux  himself  and  the 
receiving  party  would  come  out  to  meet  us. 

Having  now  reached  Baltchi,  our  contract  with  the 
Danakil  camel-men  terminated  of  itself,  and  they  were 
paid  ofF.  These  poor  creatures  called  us  their  fathers 
and  brothers,  vowed  eternal  friendship,  and  offered  to 
await  our  return.  They  would  have  spared  us  much 
inconvenience  had  they  been  willing  to  go  on  to  the 
capital,  as  did  the  Arabians.  They  suffer  so  from  cold 
in  these  rare  regions,  and  the  camels  do  so  poorly, 
that  in  almost  every  case,  as  in  our  own,  it  is  necessary 
to  make  a  new  contract  for  the  short  remaining 
journey  with  the  local  mule-men. 

It  was  the  business  of  Atto  Paulos  to  find  a  con- 


FINDING  A  CONTEACTOE  67 

tractor  capable  of  moving  our  chattels  on  to  tlie 
capital ;  but  althotigh  ample  notice  had  been  given 
of  our  intended  arrival,  he  had  great  difficulty  in 
arranging  matters.  There  were  plenty  of  mules  and 
plenty  of  men,  and  there  was  no  dispute  about  terms, 
but  there  were  a  thousand  reasons  why  we  must  not 
think  of  going  at  once.  Poor  Atto  Paulos  was  in  great 
distress  of  mind.  He  knew  that  the  Emperor  expected 
us  on  Friday,  and  that  if  we  were  prevented  from 
arriving,  he  would  certainly  be  held  responsible,  not 
only  by  ourselves,  but  by  his  imperial  master.  At 
eleven  o'clock,  when  it  seemed  that  we  were  farther 
from  a  settlement  than  ever,  he  came  to  me  and 
advised  my  departure.  This  would  have  the  effect 
of  bringing  the  men  to  their  senses.  Furthermore, 
he  would  pledge  his  word  that  our  effects  would  arrive 
at  Chaffee  Dunsa  that  night. 

The  word  of  Atto  Paulos  was  made  good,  but  it  was 
seven  o'clock  before  the  final  load  was  laid  at  Chaffee 
Dunsa.  Our  property  came  over  the  rolling  prairies 
in  picturesque  disorder.  Now  it  was  a  camel  loaded 
with  rattling  tin  cracker  boxes,  now  a  mule  almost 
hidden  under  piles  of  canvas,  or  perhaps  a  little  ass 
struggling  with  a  cast-iron  soldier's  stove.  Occasion- 
ally men  bearing  bundles  of  tent-poles  would  pass 
along.  It  was  wonderful  that  with  tliis  extreme 
variety  of  man  and  beast  charged  with  our  possessions, 
and  under  no  particular  contract,  we  should  come  into 
our  own  and  extract  order  out  of  chaos.  But  we  did. 
Nothing  was  ever  stolen  that  was  of  the  slightest  con- 
sequence. Good  old-fashioned  honesty  is  the  rule  in 
the  empire  of  the  King  of  Kings. 

We  had  ridden  all  day  across  wonderfully  rich 
country,  well  watered,  but  not  particularly  interesting. 

5—2 


68  ABYSSINIA  OF  TaDAY 

The  sun  shone  fiercely — it  seemed  to  me  even  more  so 
than  in  the  desert  lowlands — and  the  flies  were 
maddening  in  their  nimabers  and  persistency.  Up  to 
this  point  we  had  had  very  little  difficulty  either  with 
flies  or  other  representatives  of  the  insect  tribes,  but 
our  troubles  now  began  in  earnest,  and  continued  until 
the  homeward  journey  was  well  under  way.  Those 
of  us  who  had  head-nets  wore  them,  but  it  was  a 
question  which  was  the  more  disagreeable  to  endure — 
the  attacks  of  the  flies  or  the  annoying  obstruction  of 
the  head-nets.  Towards  evening  it  became  very  cold, 
which  was  not  surprising,  since  we  were  now  at  an 
altitude  of  7,386  feet,  having  steadily  mounted  since 
leaving  Baltchi,  which  has  itself  the  very  respectable 
altitude  of  5,828  feet.  We  camped  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  nearest  village.  The  evening  *  hospitality,' 
when  it  arrived,  contained  everything  except  what  we 
needed  most — firewood.  I  gave  the  Slave  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  a  thaler,  and  sent  him  out  to  buy  fuel  at  any 
price.  He  returned,  followed  by  some  villagers, 
carrying  bundles  of  sticks  enough  to  cook  our 
evening  meal ;  but  he  handed  back  the  thaler,  which 
had  no  purchasing  power  in  that  country.  On  the 
plains  of  Chaffee  Dunsa  the  coin  of  the  realm  is 
unknown,  their  circulating  medimn  being  cartridges 
for  small  purchases  and  bars  of  salt  for  large  ones. 

The  recognised  mediimi  of  exchange  in  the  centres 
of  Abyssinia  is  the  Maria  Theresa  thaler  of  1780,  or 
the  thaler  of  Menelik.  The  Maria  Theresa  thaler 
circulates  generally  throughout  Africa,  and  is  minted 
in  Austria  in  considerable  quantities  for  this  trade, 
the  new  coins  always  bearing  the  old  date.  It  is  only 
within  the  last  few  years  that  Menelik  has  succeeded 
in  bringing  into  common  use  coins  bearing  his  own 


COINAGE  OF  ABYSSINIA  69 

effigy,  stamped  for  him  in  Paris,  from  the  silver 
representing  the  war  indemnity  paid  by  the  Italians 
a  number  of  years  ago.  Even  at  this  time  the  ordinary 
Abyssinian  scrutinizes  his  Maria  Theresa  thaler  with 
great  care,  declining  it  if  the  minute  pearls  in  the 
necklace  are  worn,  and  looking  even  more  askance  at 
the  coins  of  his  own  country.  The  domestic  coin  is 
making  its  way,  however,  its  circulation  being  en- 
couraged by  the  Government,  which  regards  its  use  as 
good  public  policy,  tending  to  unify  the  empire.  The 
subsidiary  coinage  consists  of  halves,  quarters,  eighths, 
and  sixteenths  of  a  thaler.  All  these  coins  have  been 
introduced  by  the  Emperor  Menelik,  and  are  much 
less  commonly  circulated  than  the  thalers.  Even  in 
Addis-Ababa  bars  of  salt  and  cartridges  represent  the 
divisions  of  the  thaler.  The  amouli,  or  salt  bar,  is 
accepted  at  the  rate  of  one-third  to  one-fifth  of  the 
thaler,  and  the  cartridges  at  one-sixteenth.  The 
thaler  itself  fluctuates  in  value  from  frs.  2*30  to 
frs.  2 '45,  the  higher  price  prevailing  at  the  greater 
distance  from  the  sea.  While  the  fluctuations  are 
controlled  by  the  silver  market  of  the  world,  there  is 
also  a  rapidily-varying  domestic  fluctuation,  caused 
by  crop  movements  and  similar  causes.  All  of  our 
native  servants  carried  well-filled  cartridge  belts, 
whether  they  happened  to  possess  a  gun  or  revolver 
or  not.  We  at  first  deemed  this  to  be  a  sort  of 
vanity,  but  it  was  the  recognised  way  of  carrying  a 
currency  always  sure  to  circulate. 

A  cold,  uncomfortable  night  at  Chaffee  Dunsa  was 
further  disturbed  by  the  capers  of  a  regiment  of 
monkeys  which  seemed  not  merely  to  be  talking  us 
over,  but  to  be  jumping  about  from  tent  to  tent.  We 
were  glad  when  the  sun  rose  on  the  following  morning, 


70  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

and  we  could  set  forth  again  upon  the  monotonous 
plains.  En  route  a  messenger  met  us.  He  had  come 
all  the  way  from  the  capital  with  a  note  from  M.  Chef- 
neux,  confirming  the  arrangements  respecting  the 
reception  the  next  day,  for  which  preparations  were 
then  making. 

After  a  hard  day's  work  we  reached  a  deep  ravine, 
and  failing  to  see  the  bridge  a  short  distance  below, 
forded  a  rather  swift  stream  and  camped  upon  the 
opposite  side.  Alidway  above  our  heads  the  rocks 
jutted  out  from  the  rich  earth  and  were  pierced  by 
caves,  in  which,  at  certain  periods  of  the  year,  the 
shepherds  live.  We  encamped  upon  the  domain  of 
the  Empress  Taitu,  so  we  were  told  when  the  *  hospi- 
tality '  arrived.  We  had  been  expected  to  camp  on  the 
other  side. 

*  But  it  shall  niake  no  difference,'  explained  the 
chief  of  the  *  hospitality '  reassuringly.  *  You  shall  get 
your  supplies  just  the  same.' 

The  details  concerning  the  *  hospitality '  were  dis- 
cussed by  our  Ethiopian  friends  from  the  hilltops  of 
the  opposite  sides  of  the  valley,  a  distance  of  probably 
half  a  mile.  The  carrying  power  of  the  Ethiopian 
voice,  and  the  desire  of  the  owner  of  the  organ  to 
exercise  it  at  long  range,  are  something  remarkable. 
The  voices  in  themselves  seem  not  especially  resonant. 
The  approved  method  of  conversation  is  to  begin  at  a 
low  register,  and  gradually  to  work  up,  culminating 
each  long-distance  sentence  vnXh  a  final  falsetto  shriek. 

There  was  a  general  overhauling  of  clothing  at  Akaki 
that  night,  for  we  were  to  say  farewell  to  khaki,  and 
appear  before  the  Emperor  on  the  morrow. 

When  we  rose  on  Friday  morning,  December  18, 
there  seemed  to  be  every  prospect  of  a  rainy  day. 


OVEEHAULING  OF  CLOTHING  71 

Providence  smiled  upon  ns,  as  usual,  however,  and 
our  mending,  burnishing,  and  polisliing  went  on. 
Even  the  servants  tingled  with  pleasurable  excitement, 
and  from  bags  and  bundles  which  we  had  not  supposed 
in  their  possession  drew  forth  fresh  white  chammas, 
or  other  signs  of  Abyssinian  elegance.  Alassman  came 
out  in  a  new  khaki  suit,  with  a  tall  white  collar, 
which  he  wore  outside  his  coat,  and  upside-down. 
One  Abto  Salass^  had  treasured  his  wide-brimmed 
felt  hat  to  such  an  extent  that  upon  his  300-mile 
tramp  he  had  carefully  protected  it  by  placing  there- 
upon the  pasteboard  box  in  which  the  hatter  had 
packed  it.  He  laid  aside  the  box  this  day,  and  wore 
the  hat  alone.  He  also  wore  a  short  seersucker  vest, 
and  an  immense  scimitar,  with  which  he  cut  grass 
in  the  evenings  for  his  mules.  Our  own  men  put  on 
their  blue  clothes,  pipe-clayed  their  white  helmets,  and 
polished  their  brass  buttons.  The  jack-tars  created 
the  greatest  sensation  by  donning  for  the  first  time 
their  blue  sailor  clothes,  flat  hats  and  ribbons.  We 
civilians  reserved  ourselves  until  later  in  the  day.  We 
had  but  a  short  run  ahead  of  us,  one  or  two  hours, 
so  the  start  was  deferred  until  almost  ten  o'clock. 
Scarcely  had  we  reached  the  plain  above  our  camping- 
place  than  we  saw  in  the  far  distance  the  shining 
roofs  of  Addis-Ababa.  The  scenery  was  grand  ;  high 
mountains  were  on  both  sides  and  ahead  of  us,  and 
we  marched  between  fields  of  waving  grain. 

A  disturbing  incident  now  occurred.  Until  a  day 
or  two  before,  a  young  Abyssinian  had  been  travelling 
with  us,  profiting  by  the  security  which  our  numbers 
afforded  in  order  to  cross  the  desert.  He  had  been 
particularly  polite,  and  we  all  liked  him.  Shortly 
before  reaching  Akaki  he  had  ridden  on  ahead,  saying 


72  .  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

that  he  was  impatient  to  see  his  family,  and  that  he 
would  return  to  escort  us  into  the  city.  We  now  saw 
him  return,  as  he  had  promised.  After  exchanging 
salutations,  he  said  that  we  should  by  all  means  camp 
where  we  were. 

*  The  reception  is  not  to  take  place  to-day,  after  all,' 
he  said.  *  The  Emperor  has  left  the  city,  to  select 
mules  for  the  army.  I  saw  him  last  night  myself,  and 
he  told  me  to  let  you  know  informally  as  soon  as 
possible.  You  must  camp  here.  If  you  should  go  on 
to  Shola,  you  would  be  in  sight  of  the  capital,  and  to 
remain  there  and  not  to  be  received  might  seem  to  be 
a  way  of  reproving  His  Majesty.' 

It  was  a  great  disappointment  to  learn  that  the 
reception  had  been  postponed,  but  the  statement  of 
the  young  Abyssinian  was  so  circumstantial  and 
plausible  that  we  all  accepted  it  as  true.  Fortunately, 
his  advice  to  go  on  no  further  was  not  heeded. 
Inasmuch  as  I  had  a  definite  engagement  to  meet 
M.  Chefneux  at  Shola,  which  had  not  been  counter- 
manded, I  determined  under  no  circimistances  to 
fail  him.  We  pressed  on,  therefore,  and,  as  events 
proved,  the  young  Abyssinian's  story  was  simply 
a  tissue  of  untruths.  His  real  purpose  was  never 
disclosed,  but  his  object  clearly  was  to  induce  us 
to  break  our  engagement  to  be  at  Shola  at  noon, 
and  consequently  to  fail  to  be  received  by  a  waiting 
Emperor.  The  latter,  very  naturally,  would  have  been 
angered  against  guests  who  could  use  him  with  so 
little  consideration. 


CHAPTER  Vni 

We  are  received  by  the  Emperor — The  Abyssinian  band  plays 
*  Hail,  Columbia ' — The  palace  of  the  Eas  Oualdo  Gorghis. 

The  caravan  proceeded  to  Shola,  where  an  excellent 
spring,  a  large  tree,  and  a  beautiful  prairie  combined 
to  make  an  ideal  camping-ground.  We  had  been 
somewhat  disconcerted  by  the  news  brought  by  the 
little  Abyssinian  gentleman,  but  determined  to  await 
developments.  Orders  were  issued  to  erect  two  tents 
only,  for  reception  and  dining  room  purposes,  with 
the  expectation  of  then  pressing  on  to  the  city,  unless 
the  reports  concerning  the  Emperor's  intention  not  to 
receive  us  that  day  should  be  confirmed.  The  work 
of  organizing  a  camp  had  scarcely  been  commenced, 
when  M.  L^on  Chefneux,  Counsellor  of  State  to  the 
Emperor,  was  announced.  M.  Chefneux  came  with  a 
considerable  escort  of  fine-looking  Ethiopians  ;  he 
himself  was  in  the  conventional  garb  of  a  Parisian. 
He  immediately  dispelled  all  our  illusions  with  respect 
to  the  reception.  There  was  no  question  of  adjourning 
the  ceremony  at  all.  His  Majesty  awaited  us  with 
impatience,  and  the  formal  entry  into  the  capital 
would  take  place  at  two  o'clock. 

In  regard  to  the  personality  of  M.  Chefneux,  it  is 
enough  to  say,  for  the  moment,  that  he  enjoys  with 
M.  Alfred  Ilg,   at  that   time  in  Europe,  the  honour 

73 


74  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

of  being  the  Emperor's  adviser  in  foreign  affairs. 
M.  Chefneux  remained  to  luncli  witli  me,  explaining 
in  the  meantime  the  nature  of  the  coming  reception, 
and  stating  that  the  palace  of  the  Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis 
had  been  put  in  order,  and  was  ready  for  our  occupancy. 
It  seemed  that  every  detail  respecting  our  welfare  had 
been  considered  by  our  imperial  host,  whose  fore- 
thought was  such  that  if  any  lingering  doubt  remained 
concerning  the  warmth  of  the  welcome  awaiting  us  it 
was  immediately  laid  aside. 

I  remitted  my  credentials  to  M.  Chefneux,  whose 
unaffected  simplicity  of  manner  and  unfailing  kindness 
manifested  themselves  then,  as  they  did  thereafter. 
In  an  empire  permeated  with  the  spirit  of  intrigue  it 
was  a  satisfaction  to  be  in  the  presence  of  a  man 
of  affairs,  accustomed  to  dealing  with  a  business 
proposition  in  a  businesslike  way.  I  told  M.  Chefneux 
during  our  first  interview  how  long  we  could  remain 
in  the  capital,  and  still  meet  our  engagement  to  be  at 
the  coast  in  January,  and  he  at  once  assured  me,  and 
made  good  the  assurance,  that  no  unnecessary  delay 
would  attend  the  negotiations.  We  had  been  warned 
previously  by  Europeans  that  the  Ethiopian  Govern- 
ment, even  though  animated  by  the  best  of  intentions, 
would  detain  us,  on  one  pretext  or  another,  for  months, 
and  that  we  might  as  well  resign  ourselves  to  the 
situation  first  as  last.  It  is  worth  while  noting  that 
our  mission  was  accomplished  in  nine  days,  or  in  one 
day  less  than  the  maximiun  period  which  we  had 
allowed  ourselves  for  this  purpose. 

The  luncheon  at  Shola  concluded,  there  was  another 
furbishing  of  uniforms  on  the  part  of  those  who  had 
them,  the  civilian  Commissioner  and  his  staff  putting 
themselves  into   dress   clothes.     Some   well-meaning 


U    i 


A  QUESTION  OF  CLOTHES  76 

friends  had  previously  suggested  the  effectiveness  of 
a  self-assumed  uniform  as  properly  befitting  this 
occasion  ;  indeed,  precedents  were  quoted.  However, 
the  shadow  of  Benjamin  Franklin  loomed  up  before 
us,  and  we  adhered  rigidly  to  the  spirit  and  the  letter 
of  the  statute.  Old  Atto  Joseph's  advice  at  Djibouti 
was  good :  '  We  prefer  to  see  you  as  you  are,  rather 
than  trying  to  be  like  ourselves.'  Indeed,  after  a 
brief  experience  among  Oriental  people,  fond  of  dis- 
play in  every  form,  I  am  fully  convinced  that  the  old 
American  doctrine  in  favour  of  dignity  without  osten- 
tation can  be  made  to  respond  to  any  public  service 
as  satisfactorily,  if  not  more  so,  than  belated  attempts 
to  imitate  the  gawdy  externals  to  which  our  laws  and 
traditions  are  equally  opposed.  Indeed,  I  am  not 
sure  that  our  shiny  silk  hats  were  not  more  effective 
than  any  other  article  of  costume  worn  that  day. 
They  were  certainly  a  novelty  in  Addis-i^-baba. 
During  our  sojourn  at  the  capital  I  was  told  that 
one  of  the  provincial  Kings  had  requested  of  a  dis- 
tinguished European  traveller,  as  the  most  precious 
gift  which  he  could  receive,  the  silk  hat  which  the 
latter  had  brought  from  Paris.  The  King  wore  the 
hat  thereafter  on  State  occasions,  but  only  after  having 
sent  it  to  the  Court  jeweller,  who  surrounded  the  rim 
T^-ith  a  row  of  emeralds. 

We  mounted  our  mules  at  two  o'clock,  and  moved 
slowly  in  the  direction  of  the  city.  Before  much 
progress  had  been  made,  a  large  escort  of  cavalry  and 
foot  soldiers  could  be  discerned  in  the  distance  coming 
towards  us.  When  the  two  parties  met,  the  Ded- 
jazmatch,  or  General  in  command,  dismounted,  and 
introductions  followed.  The  escorting  troops  then 
wheeled   and   moved   on   in   advance,  giving   us   an 


76  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

opportunity  to  inspect  them  at  leisure.  Dr.  Pease, 
who  had  been  the  year  before  at  Cairo,  remarked  that 
the  gorgeous  splendour  of  the  procession  which  started 
with  the  sacred  carpet  to  Mecca  was  as  nothing  com- 
pared to  this.  Our  escorting  column  grew  rapidly  as 
we  approached  the  city,  so  that  before  we  reached 
the  ravine,  which  seems  to  mark  the  entrance  to  the 
capital  proper,  we  were  preceded  by  an  army  of  3,000 
men. 

They  marched  in  most  extraordinary  confusion — 
surrounding  their  chiefs,  suddenly  performing  some 
evolution,  sometimes  walking  their  horses  and  some- 
times galloping.  One  could  readily  comprehend  that 
the  disorder  was  apparent  and  not  real,  that  at  the 
word  of  command  these  men  could  be  controlled 
absolutely.  No  picture  and  no  description  can  do 
justice  to  the  beauty  of  the  spectacle.  No  two 
costumes  were  alike.  Saddles  and  bridles  were 
decorated  with  gold  and  silver  fringe,  bucklers  of 
burnished  gold  and  silver  were  carried,  and  from  the 
shoulders  of  these  warriors  flew  mantles  of  leopard 
and  lion  skins,  of  silk,  satin,  and  velvet.  They 
were  picked  men,  riding  well,  their  chammas  flying 
in  the  wind.  Only  the  bright  rifle  barrels  marked 
the  difference  between  these  Ethiopians  and  the 
army  of  their  forbears  who  followed  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  when  she  went  down  into  Judea.  We  were 
spellbound  by  this  moving  mass  of  colour,  across 
which  floated  the  weird  music  of  a  band  of  shawm- 
players,  playing  now  as  they  had  played  when  Jericho 
fell.  With  the  probable  emotions  of  the  Yankee  at 
the  Court  of  King  Arthur,  we  approached  the  throne 
of  the  King  of  Kings. 

Having  entered  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  we  now 


THE  GUEBI  77 

found  ourselves  travelling  over  one  of  the  smooth,  and 
well-built  roads  with  which  Menelik  is  introducing 
modern  civilization.  In  the  city  we  found  many  miles 
of  these  roads.  The  crowds  became  much  denser  as 
we  neared  the  palace.  We  climbed  steadily  higher, 
as  the  Emperor's  palace  occupies  the  crest  of  a  hill 
and  dominates  the  whole  city.  The  Guebi,  as  the 
group  of  imperial  buildings  is  called,  is  surrounded 
by  a  thatched  stone  wall,  and  everything  about  the 
premises  conveys  an  impression  of  order  and  thrift. 
The  palace  and  garden  surprised  us  by  their  great 
superiority  to  anything  which  we  had  previously  seen 
in  the  way  of  native  construction.  We  passed  through 
a  number  of  courtyards,  then  across  a  spacious 
campus,  in  the  background  of  which  a  troop  of 
artillerymen  stood  by  the  guns  captured  from  the 
Italians  during  the  recent  war,  whence  they  saluted 
us.  A  Swiss  ofl&cer  was  in  conmiand  of  this  troop, 
who,  after  saluting  in  military  fashion,  removed  his 
cap  and  bowed  to  the  ground.  His  men  wore 
uniforms  of  dark  brown  cotton  cloth,  and  constitute 
the  only  body  of  regularly  European-trained  troops 
in  the  Ethiopian  army.  Upon  reaching  the  wide 
doorway  of  Indian  design,  we  dismounted  and  prepared 
to  enter. 

Once  within,  we  discovered  the  aderach,  or  audience- 
hall,  to  be  a  large,  half  church-like  structure,  the 
roof  of  which  was  supported  by  pillars  of  timber,  the 
cathedral-like  aspect  of  which  was  enhanced  by  the 
presence  of  the  throne  at  the  opposite  end.  The  floor 
was  completely  carpeted  with  Oriental  rugs,  incon- 
gruously mixed  with  the  products  of  French  and 
German  looms.  Back  of  the  lines  formed  by  the 
pillars  on  either  side  were  massed  hundreds  of  the 


78  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

chief  people  of  Addis-Ababa,  garbed  like  the  soldiers 
in  many-coloured  raiment,  and  waiting  in  respectful 
silence. 

In  the  farther  end  of  the  chamber  sat  the  Emperor 
upon  his  divan,  or  throne.  The  divan  was  placed  upon 
a  platform  extending  entirely  across  the  audience- 
hall  and  under  a  canopy  supported  by  four  gilded 
columns,  the  gift  of  the  French  Republic.  On  each 
side  of  the  throne  stood  two  young  Princes  holding 
girns,  and  back  of  it,  and  extending  on  both  sides 
until  they  merged  into  the  crowds  waiting  in  the 
aisles,  stood  the  Ministers,  judges,  and  officers  of  the 
Court.  A  subdued  light  softened  the  colours  and 
blended  them  harmoniously.  Our  small  column,  both 
officers  and  men,  advanced  halfway  across  the  wide 
and  empty  space,  where  the  officers  bowed.  In  complete 
silence  the  procession  continued  on  to  the  elevation 
upon  which  the  throne  stood.  Here  the  party,  other 
than  the  Commissioner,  halted,  the  latter  stepping 
forward  to  shake  hands  in  the  most  friendly  and 
informal  manner  with  the  Emperor,  who  held  out  his 
own  hand  and  smiled  cordially.  M.  Sourvis,  the 
official  interpreter  and  private  secretary  of  the 
Emperor,  facilitated  the  exchange  of  conversation. 
His  Majesty  wore  the  costume  familiar  to  us  from 
photographs.  He  sat  in  Oriental  fashion,  his  legs 
crossed  and  his  arms  supported  on  two  cushions.  He 
wore  a  red  velvet  mantle,  barely  disclosing  the  sno^vy 
white  under-garments,  and  around  his  head  a  white 
handkerchief  was  closely  bound.  He  also  wore 
diamond  eardrops,  and  several  rings  upon  both  hands. 
His  face  was  full  of  intelligence,  and  his  manners  those 
of  a  gentleman  as  well  as  a  King.  Distinctly,  the  first 
impression  was  agreeable. 


EECEIVED  BY  THE  EMPEEOR  79 

After  a  short  formal  address,  the  Commissioner  pre- 
sented his  Commission  from  the  President,  which  the 
Emperor  scrutinized  with  polite  indifference,  laying 
it  aside  at  once  and  replying  to  my  address  in  a  few 
words.  He  spoke  in  the  Amharic  language,  all  the 
other  conversations  and  translations  being  in  French. 
He  talked  in  a  low  conversational  tone,  and  made  no 
pretence  whatever  of  taking  into  his  confidence  the 
large  number  of  subjects  listening  on  every  hand. 
The  officers  of  the  mission  were  then  presented, 
whereupon  it  became  the  Commissioner's  pleasant 
privilege,  as  the  first  public  act  consequent  upon  the 
establishment  of  diplomatic  relations  between  the  two 
countries,  to  present  an  invitation  to  the  Emperor  to 
participate  in  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition. 
For  this  purpose.  Governor  Francis,  President  of  the 
Exposition  Company,  had  had  prepared  a  handsome 
silver  salver  of  large  size,  in  the  centre  of  which  was 
engraved  a  form  of  invitation.  The  Emperor  was 
evidently  surprised  and  pleased,  though  not  too  much 
so  to  accept  the  invitation  immediately,  saying  that 
the  details  could  be  discussed  later  on.  Someone 
had  told  me  at  Dir^-Daouah  that  the  Emperor  was 
a  man  of  quick  decision,  but  I  scarcely  anticipated 
such  prompt  action  as  this.  It  was  characteristic 
of  him,  however,  as  during  subsequent  inter- 
views he  was  equally  rapid  in  seizing  a  point  and 
determining  his  own  line  of  action.  I  deeply 
regretted,  as  did  the  Emperor,  I  think,  that  in  the 
end  the  time  at  his  disposition  made  it  materially 
impossible  to  organize  a  satisfactory  exhibit  at  St. 
Louis. 

The  first  formalities  concluded,  all  the  officers  were 
asked   to  take   chairs,  and  to    engage    in   as   much 


80  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

friendly  conversation  as  was  possible  with  2,000  spec- 
tators looking  on  with  undisguised  curiosity.  His 
Majesty  had  that  quality  of  responsiveness,  however, 
which  contributes  to  a  flow  of  talk  in  spite  of  the  most 
unfavourable  surroundings,  and  I  should  not  have 
believed  that  we  had  remained  in  the  imperial  presence 
forty  minutes,  if  Dr.  Pease  had  not  insisted  that  it 
was  so.  The  Emperor  told  us  of  the  arrangements 
made  for  our  comfort,  and  seemed  especially  solicitous 
that  we  should  lack  for  nothing  under  this  head.  We 
separated  with  his  promise  to  fix  in  writing  an  hour 
for  a  first  private  audience  on  the  next  day  to  be  sent 
to  our  headquarters.  The  entire  company  assembled 
on  this  occasion  waited  with  true  Oriental  courtesy 
until  we  had  retired  before  dispersing.  As  we  left 
the  aderach,  the  captured  cannon  roared  out  twenty- 
one  guns,  and  the  band  of  the  native  musicians  played 
'Hail,  Columbia,' and  then  the  'Marseillaise.'  They 
played  the  'Marseillaise'  later  on  when  they  serenaded 
me.  I  have  an  idea  that  it  was  considered  particu- 
larly appropriate,  in  view  of  my  official  residence  in 
Marseilles. 

The  same  immense  escort  which  had  led  us  into 
the  city,  headed  by  the  same  shawm-players,  and 
augmented  by  the  trained  artillerymen  and  the 
Emperor's  band,  now  led  us  down  the  mountainside, 
along  the  French  road,  and  then  across  rough  and 
stony  tracks  to  the  doorway  of  our  temporary  home. 
The  generals,  judges,  and  colonels,  who  had  been  so 
courteous  to  us  all  the  afternoon,  entered  with  the 
officers,  and  together  we  inspected  the  quarters  of  the 
Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis. 

The  Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis,  an  uncle  of  the  Emperor 
and  ruler  of  an  outlying  province,  had  erected  this 


THE  PALACE  81 

palace  for  his  own  comfort,  when  he  should  have 
occasion  to  visit  the  capital  and  pay  homage  to  his 
suzerain.  An  adobe  wall,  such  as  they  build  in 
Mexico,  surrounded  the  large  park,  which  was  sub- 
divided into  nmnerous  compounds.  In  the  central 
compound  stood  the  palace.  The  palace  was  probably 
100  feet  long  by  80  feet  wide,  one  story  high,  and 
divided  into  two  rooms.  The  external  walls  were 
made  of  sun-dried  bricks,  such  as  we  saw  in  process 
of  manufacture  as  we  approached  from  the  Guebi. 
To  produce  these  bricks,  a  round  hole  in  the  ground 
is  excavated  and  filled  with  clay  and  water.  A  number 
of  native  labourers  next  enter  it  and  tramp  around 
in  the  muddy  mass,  working  in  a  small  quantity 
of  hay,  until  it  arrives  at  the  proper  consistency. 
Thereupon  the  bricks  are  moulded  by  hand,  and  laid 
out  in  the  sun  to  dry. 

Our  palace  was  oval  in  shape.  There  were  several 
large  doors  and  two  windows  in  each  room.  The 
windows  had  solid  wooden  shutters,  but  no  glass. 
Upon  the  floor  were  laid  numerous  Oriental  rugs,  and 
in  the  front-room  was  a  divan,  or  throne,  a  long  table, 
and  many  chairs.  Portraits  of  the  Emperor  and  of 
the  Patriarch  of  Alexandria  were  upon  the  walls.  After 
our  tent  life  it  all  seemed  quite  sumptuous.  The 
generals,  judges,  and  colonels  were  as  amiable  as 
possible,  and  we  became  very  good  friends.  Word 
had  gone  forth,  in  that  mysterious  manner  by  which 
news  is  carried  in  Africa,  that  this  expedition  had 
come  with  disinterested  motives  to  exchange  trade 
and  to  establish  friendship.  Frequently  some  of  our 
most  humble  acquaintances  would  interject  some 
comment  about  '  an  alliance  of  friendship,'  with 
favourable   comment    upon    the   absence    from    this 

6 


82  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

alliance  of  any  discussion  of  frontiers  or  protectorates. 
I  feel  very  sure  that  the  real  cordiality  of  the  welcome 
which  was  extended  to  us  in  many  obvious  ways — 
quite  apart  from  the  external  official  demonstrations — 
arose  from  the  popular  conviction  that  American 
friendship  had  no  dangers,  and  would  be  a  source  of 
moral  strength  to  the  nation. 

The  tired  sailors  and  marines  had  a  camp  to  make 
after  the  departure  of  our  visitors.  The  tents  were 
put  up  in  the  yard  in  front  of  the  palace,  and  the  flag 
was  raised  over  *  Camp  Roosevelt.'  A  large  number 
of  spectators  had  foimd  their  way  into  the  grounds, 
and  the  soldiers'  labours  were  beguiled  by  the  music 
of  the  Emperor's  band.  A  Russian  political  prospector, 
Coimt  Leontieff,  had  brought  the  instruments  out  from 
Europe,  and  a  European  instructor  had  educated  the 
musicians  up  to  their  present  state  of  efficiency. 

We  had  a  late  dinner  that  evening,  and  then,  by  the 
light  of  our  *  fanous,'  or  candlesticks,  read  the  papers 
which  the  courier  had  brought  up  from  the  coast. 
There  we  learned  of  the  uprising  in  Panama,  of  the 
imminence  of  war  in  the  Orient,  and  the  results  of  the 
elections. 

The  officers  made  their  sleeping  quarters  in  the 
second  room  of  the  palace,  where,  well  pleased  with 
the  welcome,  and  fatigued  by  the  long  and  active  day, 
they  found  greatly-needed  rest. 


CHAPTER  IX 

The  strenuous  life — Language  peculiarities — Official  society 
and  its  charms. 

The  second  day  at  the  capital  was  almost  as  strenuous 
as  the  first.  The  Emperor  had  given  me  an  appointment 
for  ten  o'clock  for  the  purpose  of  talking  over  business 
matters  informally.  M.  Chefneux  came  to  escort  me 
to  the  Guebi,  and  half  of  the  guard  accompanied  us. 
The  proprieties  in  Abyssinia  require  that  every  gentle- 
man, native  or  foreign,  shall  never  leave  his  quarters 
without  an  armed  escort.  It  is  the  most  onerous  con- 
dition of  life  in  the  capital,  but  should  certainly  be 
encouraged  by  the  manufacturers  of  fire-arms.  The 
informal  audience  took  place  in  a  small  chamber, 
approached  by  a  broad  flight  of  stairs,  enclosed  on 
three  sides.  A  divan  awaited  its  royal  occupant,  who 
entered  quietly  and  promptly,  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  doubtless  important  personages.  The 
latter  disappeared  at  a  given  signal,  when  the  details 
of  the  proposed  treaty  were  broached. 

The  Emperor  was  amazed  when  I  handed  him  a 
project  of  treaty  written  in  his  own  language  by  Pro- 
fessor Littmann,  of  Princeton  University.  Professor 
Littmann  is  probably  the  only  man  in  the  United 
States  familiar  with  Amharic.  At  that  time  he  had 
not  visited  the  country,  but  as  this  book  goes  to  press, 

83  6—2 


84  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

has  just  returned  from  a  protracted  scientific  mission 
to  Aximi.  A  few  days  later  I  was  able  to  present  the 
Emperor  with  a  copy  of  Professor  Littmann's  edition 
of  the  Amharic  chronicle  of  the  reign  of  Theodorus. 
The  project  of  treaty  served  its  purpose,  as  it  enabled 
the  Emperor  to  grasp  our  intentions  immediately, 
without  the  intervention  of  an  interpreter.  He  said 
that  it  was  remarkable  that  a  man  who  had  had 
only  the  opportunities  for  study  afforded  by  books 
should  have  such  a  command  of  the  language  as 
Professor  Littmann.  Eventually  the  treaty  was  recast 
and  couched  in  shorter  terms,  but  the  original  draft 
was  perfectly  clear  and  grammatically  correct,  except 
as  to  one  or  two  points  which  illustrate  the  limitations 
of  the  Amharic  language.  For  example.  Professor 
Littmann  had  translated  literally  the  English  phrase, 
*  This  treaty  shall  remain  in  force.'  The  word  *  force  ' 
as  here  used  conveys  in  Amharic  only  the  impression 
of  power.     It  is  an  exceedingly  literal  tongue. 

In  speaking  of  this  Amharic  draft  of  the  treaty, 
Professor  Littmann  had  previously  said  to  me  :  *  There 
are  many  terms  in  the  English  original  which  are  not 
to  be  found  in  the  Amharic  dictionaries.  I  have  tried 
to  circimiscribe  them  as  best  I  could.  Now,  it  is  likely 
that  some  of  them  do  not  exist  in  the  Amharic  language 
as  used  in  Abyssinia  itself,  and  that  synonymous  expres- 
sions not  exactly  the  same  as  given  in  my  translation 
are  actually  used.  I  would  therefore  advise  you  to 
test  whether  the  Amharic  expressions  are  really  under- 
stood by  the  Abyssinians  as  the  English  prototypes.' 

To  return  to  my  interview  with  the  Emperor 
Menelik.  He  knew  of  our  war  with  Spain,  he  knew 
something  of  our  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  he  had 
a  realization,  though  vague,  of  our  might  and  power. 


LANGUAGE  PEGULIAEITIES  85 

His  thirst  for  information  is  phenomenal.  Europeans 
in  the  East,  where  newspapers  are  scarce  and  slow  in 
coming,  fall  back  upon  a  very  useful  institution  called 
'Renter's.'  Renter's  is  a  news-gathering  concern, 
whose  brief  telegrams  are  sent  out  to  those  able  to 
afford  this  luxury.  They  come  in  typewritten  sheets, 
and  are  usually  to  be  seen  at  the  hotels  and  clubs  of 
the  sea-coast  cities.  When  a  week's  despatches  have 
accumulated,  they  are  sent  by  the  mail-boat  from  Aden 
to  Djibouti,  whence  they  are  reforwarded  to  Dire- 
Daouah.  Here  all  the  English  is  put  into  French, 
and  the  important  facts  are  immediately  telephoned  to 
Addis-Ababa,  the  longer  despatches  following  by 
courier,  to  be  translated  into  Amharic  for  the  delecta- 
tion of  the  Emperor. 

His  Majesty  speaks  no  language  but  Amharic,  unless, 
perhaps,  one  or  two  of  the  local  dialects.  He  doubtless 
recognises  a  number  of  the  commonly-used  French 
expressions,  and  on  the  day  when  we  left  the  city  he 
paid  us  a  delicate  compliment  by  saying  in  English, 
*  How  do  ?'  He  has  always  at  hand  a  very  compe- 
tent interpreter,  who  is  also  his  private  secretary, 
M.  Sourvis,  a  Greek  gentleman  who  speaks  French, 
Spanish,  Italian,  and  English.  Our  conversations  were 
invariably  carried  on  in  French  as  between  the  inter- 
preter and  myself  ;  indeed,  French  is  the  only  foreign 
tongue  one  hears  much  in  Ethiopia.  It  was  surprising 
to  find  in  a  country  where  English  political  influ- 
ence was  so  predominant  so  little  of  that  language. 
There  are  no  English  merchants  in  the  empire, 
although  there  are  hundreds  of  Frenchmen  scattered 
throughout  the  country.  Many  of  the  natives  have 
a  smattering  of  French,  and  servants  seem  to  pick  it 
up  more  readily  than  they  do  English. 


86  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Either  business  interviews  with  the  Emperor  him- 
self or  exchanges  of  views  with  his  responsible 
Ministers  took  place  daily.  In  the  meantime  these 
meetings  afforded  me  several  opportunities  to  talk 
with  His  Majesty  about  many  things.  He  had  heard, 
evidently,  a  good  deal  about  the  President,  whose 
personality  interested  him  much.  He  knew  him  to 
be  a  sportsman,  and  hoped  that  he  would  one  day 
visit  Ethiopia.  He  wanted  to  know  his  age,  and 
how  he  had  come  to  be  President.  He  wanted  to 
know  the  length  of  our  great  rivers,  the  altitude  of 
our  cities,  and  he  seemed  to  classify  the  great  variety 
of  facts  which  he  has  the  habit  of  thus  absorbing, 
and  to  bring  them  out  again  whenever  occasion 
required. 

I  have  read  frequently  that  Menelik  regards  the 
presence  of  European  legations  in  Addis-Ababa  as  an 
indirect  acknowledgment  of  a  sort  of  overlordship  on 
his  part,  just  as  the  Chinese  are  presumed  to  regard 
the  presence  of  Ministers  in  the  Flowery  Kingdom 
as  a  public  recognition  of  their  superior  civilization. 
This  belief  is  quite  unfair  to  the  Ethiopian  and  to 
the  Emperor.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any  practical 
statesman,  certainly  none  labouring  under  the  dis- 
advantages of  the  Emperor  Menelik,  has  any  keener 
appreciation  of  the  relative  forces  of  the  earth.  He 
has  heard  of  Japan,  and  in  his  own  way  is  trying  to 
emulate  that  striking  example.  The  new  railroad,  the 
new  highways,  the  bridges,  the  telephones — all  these 
things  he  probably  cares  very  little  for  in  themseVes, 
but  he  realizes  that  nations  must  advance  or  they 
must  fall.  He  wishes  to  lift  his  people  up  to  the 
point  of  being  able  to  comprehend  and  utilize  these 
modem   improvements   and   inventions,  and   to  turn 


OFFICIAL  SOCIETY  AND  ITS  CHAEMS  87 

them  to  their  own  advantage,  for  the  defence  of  their 
country  and  their  national  liberty. 

The  entire  American  mission,  in  gala  attire,  devoted 
that  first  Saturday  afternoon  to  making  a  round  of  calls 
which  inclination  and  propriety  required  to  be  made. 
First  there  were  the  Italian,  Russian,  French,  and 
British  Legations  to  be  visited ;  then  the  Abouna,  or 
head  of  the  Church  ;  Dedjazmatch  Abata,  the  General 
who  had  escorted  us  into  the  city ;  M.  Chefneux,  the 
Counsellor  of  State ;  and  M.  Sourvis,  the  Emperor's 
secretary.  After  making  several  of  these  calls,  and 
groping  with  difiiculty  homeward  in  the  darkness  of 
the  Abyssinian  night,  with  no  friendly  moon  to  show 
the  way,  we  appreciated  that  Washington  could  no 
longer  be  called  the  city  of  magnificent  distances. 

Addis-Ababa  is  a  new  city,  not  more  than  a  dozen 
years  old.  The  former  capital  was  the  ancient  city 
of  Gondar.  It  has  a  permanent  population  of  some 
50,000  souls,  including  probably  200  Europeans. 
Aside  from  the  Emperor's  palace,  the  Legations  and 
the  homes  of  a  few  Europeans,  all  the  buildings  are 
decidedly  primitive.  They  consist,  as  a  rule,  of  a 
round  lattice-work  frame,  against  which  mud  is  thickly 
plastered,  and  of  thatched  roofs.  The  Legations  have 
all  been  object-lessons  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
community,  for  the  builders,  instead  of  undertaking 
to  erect  European  structures,  have  produced  glorified 
forms  of  the  native  architecture. 

In  the  absence  of  Captain  Harrington,  Major 
Ciccodicola,  who  has  been  in  Ethiopia  since  the 
war  of  1896,  is  dean  of  the  diplomatic  corps.  His 
Legation  grounds  are  approached  by  an  excellent 
macadamized  road,  which  extends  far  beyond  his 
official  premises.      The  Italian  colours  flioat  from  a 


88  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

tall  mast,  and  a  native  guard  uniformed  in  Italian 
cloaks  and  Piedmontese  hats  salute  arriving  visitors. 
The  house  is  large  and  comfortable,  consisting  of 
a  series  of  main  buildings  connected  by  galleries, 
which  we  were  not  enabled  to  enter  upon  this  occasion, 
as  the  Minister  was  at  the  Russian  Legation. 

Better  fortune  awaited  us  at  the  home  of  the  head 
of  the  Church.  The  Abouna,  or  spiritual  head  of  the 
Church,  is  an  Egyptian.  He  is  always  named  by  the 
Patriarch  of  Alexandria,  who  receives  a  present  of 
12,000  thalers  each  time  he  nominates  a  new  Abouna. 
The  Abouna  is  doomed  to  pass  his  remaining  days  in 
Abyssinia,  unless  specially  dispensed  by  the  Emperor. 
This  has  occurred  in  the  case  of  the  present  eccle- 
siastical chief,  who  was  permitted  by  Menelik  to 
visit  Russia  a  year  or  two  ago.  It  appears  to  be  the 
policy  of  the  Government  to  maintain  the  Church 
in  all  its  vigour,  and  to  this  end  to  contribute  to  the 
prestige  of  the  Abouna.  The  distinguished  Church- 
man was  in  his  garden,  under  a  red  silk  umbrella, 
and  wearing  a  large  broad-brimmed  hat,  when  we 
called,  but  he  returned  to  his  reception-room  to 
receive  us,  seated  upon  a  divan  not  unlike  a  throne. 
He  wore  a  purple  silk  robe,  and  was  a  man  of  dis- 
tinguished face  and  figure.  Turkish  coffee  was  served, 
and  we  spoke  of  many  things,  after  which  the  garden 
was  visited,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country.  I  have 
no  doubt  that  the  American  seeds  which  we  afterwards 
sent  to  the  Abouna  have  long  since  contributed  to 
his  success  as  a  horticulturist. 

The  Russian  and  British  Legations  are  a  long 
distance  from  the  city,  and  very  attractive  when  once 
reached.  To  arrive,  however,  is  an  experience  quite 
as  exciting  in  its  way  as  a  chase  after  the  hounds. 


OFFICIAL  SOCIETY  AND  ITS  CHAEMS  89 

Diplomatic  society  had  been  celebrating  the  saint's  day 
of  the  Emperor  of  all  the  Russias  when  we  arrived, 
and  though  most  of  the  guests  had  departed,  we  were 
still  in  time  to  drain  a  glass  to  the  Czar,  and  to 
M.  Leschine  his  Minister,  whose  personal  cordiaHty 
and  hospitality  left  ineffaceable  impressions  upon  our 
minds.  The  Russian  establishment  in  Addis- Ababa 
is  the  most  considerable  of  all  the  foreign  undertakings. 
Aside  from  the  Legation  proper,  it  includes  a  free 
hospital,  pharmacy,  and  staff  of  physicians  and  trained 
nurses.  The  utility  of  this  work  to  the  native  popula- 
tion is  very  real,  and  to  the  few  European  residents 
the  mere  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  this  splendid 
institution  is  very  reassuring.  The  influence  obtained 
by  Russian  diplomacy  operating  along  medical  lines 
is  necessarily  immense.  A  small  guard  of  Cossacks 
gives  the  touch  of  the  picturesque  required  to  make 
the  Legation  as  interesting  as  it  is  useful. 

Having  encountered  Mr.  Clerk,  the  British  Charge 
d'Affaires,  at  the  Russian  Legation,  our  visit  to  his 
official  home  was  deferred  until  Christmas,  which 
was  celebrated  with  all  the  traditional  dishes,  from 
turkey  and  roast  beef  to  plum-pudding.  Minister 
Harrington  was  absent,  as  I  have  before  mentioned, 
but  was  then  on  his  way  to  his  post. 

We  found  our  General,  or  Dedjazmatch,  of  the  day 
before  in  the  midst  of  a  camp  of  several  thousand 
small  white  tents,  not  far  from  the  Russian  Legation. 
We  paid  him  our  compliments  and  hurried  on,  as 
night  was  rapidly  overtaking  us,  and  we  had  still  the 
Legation  of  France  and  the  homes  of  M.  Chefneux 
and  M.  Sourvis  to  visit.  But,  alas  for  good  intentions, 
we  were  too  late.  M.  Roux,  the  French  Chargd 
d'Affaires,  and  the  other  gentlemen  we  had  to  meet 


90  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

on  another  day  and  under  other  circumstances. 
M.  Lagarde,  the  French  Minister,  was  in  France  during 
our  sojourn  in  the  capital,  reaching  Djibouti  a  day  or 
two  after  we  had  sailed. 

What  our  diplomatic  friends  may  have  thought  of 
the  American  mission  considered  politically  may  have 
been  favourable  or  unfavourable ;  in  any  event  they 
certainly  contributed  memorably  to  the  personal 
pleasure  of  our  visit  by  a  boundless  hospitality  which 
ceased  only  when  we  went  away,  and  after  having 
assembled  us  as  guests  under  the  flag  of  every  nation 
represented  officially  in  Ethiopia.  We  ate  ca\'iare 
and  drank  vodka  with  M.  Leschine,  macaroni  and 
Asti  spimianti  with  Major  Ciccodicola,  foie  gras  and 
champagne  with  M.  Roux,  and  roast  beef  and  port 
with  Mr.  Clerk.  It  filled  us  with  a  new  respect  for 
diplomacy  as  a  profession  and  fine  art  to  discover 
how  these  gentlemen  had  surrounded  themselves  with 
comfort  and  even  luxury  in  that  far-away  spot. 

We  met  much  the  same  friends  on  all  of  these 
festal  occasions,  and  learned  to  like  them  better 
from  day  to  day.  It  is  surprising  how  quickly  new 
friendships  can  form,  and  how  soon  the  formality  of 
purely  official  acquaintance  can  break  down,  near  the 
equator,  and  300  miles  from  a  railroad. 

I  learned  with  sorrow  in  1906,  while  revising  these 
pages,  of  the  death  of  the  Russian  Minister,  M.  Leschine, 
in  his  far-away  post,  where  he  served  his  country 
honourably  and  weU. 


CHAPTER  X 

Ethiopian  politics — Eole  of  America,  Italy,  France,  Great  Britain, 
and  Eussia — The  Ambassadors  of  civilization  and  their  rail- 
road: 

The  role  of  the  various  Legations  in  Addis-Ababa  is 
purely  political.  The  American  mission  was  the  only- 
one  based  upon  purely  commercial  considerations  which 
Menelik  had  received  up  to  the  date  of  our  arrival. 
Of  course,  numerous  private  and  semi-official  missions 
have  visited  him,  with  certain  specific  objects  in  view ; 
but  America  was  the  first  country  to  establish  diplo- 
matic relations  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  protecting 
and  extending  commerce,  and  without  a  political  issue 
of  any  character  to  discuss.  It  will  be  said,  perhaps, 
that  the  ultimate  aim  of  all  the  European  Powers  is  to 
promote  commerce,  and  that  it  is  only  for  the  purpose 
of  promoting  commerce  that  colonies  are  established 
and  official  relations  maintained.  This  may  be 
perfectly  true  in  principle,  but  in  practice,  at  least, 
the  matter  of  frontiers,  balance  of  power,  and  kindred 
questions,  are  so  far  in  the  foreground  that  the 
ultimate  commercial  ambition  is  entirely  overshadowed. 
The  purposes  and  interests  of  the  United  States  in 
Ethiopia  are  so  patent  without  definition  that  they 
may  be  dismissed  with  a  few  words. 

Waiving   all   regard   for    the    probably   important 

91 


92  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

future  of  Ethiopia  as  a  consuming  nation,  we  liad 
enjoyed  for  years  a  trade  in  certain  of  our  goods, 
notably  cottons,  more  valuable  than  any  other  import 
trade  in  the  empire.  To  reach  these  customers  of 
ours,  our  merchandise  had  to  cross  either  British, 
French,  or  Italian  soil.  The  frequently  abused 
missionary  had  gone  into  Africa  many  years  before 
present  political  conditions  prevailed,  and  had  in- 
troduced some  of  our  honest  American  cotton  goods 
with  the  success  above  stated.  This  was  a  trade  in 
which  no  American  houses  were  directly  engaged, 
but  the  benefits  thereof  were  no  less  directly  enjoyed 
by  the  American  farmers  and  working  men.  Then 
came  the  partition  of  Africa  by  the  European  Powers 
into  spheres  of  influence,  the  creation  of  Custom- 
houses, and  all  those  administrative  measures  whereby 
trade  is  made  to  foUow  the  flag.  The  French  took 
hold  of  Madagascar,  and  as  abruptly  as  Napoleon 
announced  that  the  House  of  Braganza  no  longer 
reigned  in  Europe,  our  long-enjoj'ed  cotton  trade 
ceased  to  be.  In  the  Congo  Free  State,  where 
cotton  sheetings  are  still  known  as  *  Americani,' 
the  merchandise  was  now  coming  in  fact  from  Bel- 
gium. Then  our  British  friends,  whose  shibboleth 
is  Free  Trade,  had  in  fact  extended  special  privi- 
leges to  their  own  manufactures  in  many  of  their 
colonies,  creating  conditions  which  made  American 
transactions  difiBcult  of  accomplishment.  The  methods 
by  which  this  had  been  done  were  no  doubt  perfectly 
legitimate,  but  none  the  less  effectual  for  all  that. 
There  remained  to  our  credit,  however,  in  spite  of  the 
unfavourable  conditions  which  had  gradually  been 
created  elsewhere,  the  coveted  export  business  in 
cottons,  known  as  the  *  Red  Sea  trade.*     The  greater 


ETHIOPIAN  POLITICS  93 

part  of  this  was  in  Abyssinia,  where  it  amounted  to  a 
monopoly. 

Our  business  in  Abyssinia  had  grown  up  under 
shadowy  political  arrangements,  when  the  Abyssinians 
had  claimed  an  outlet  upon  the  sea,  and  which  the 
Egyptians  had  contested  with  them  by  force  of  arms. 
In  our  time  the  Abyssinians  had  been  forced  back, 
land-locked  like  Switzerland,  with  Italy,  France,  and 
England  standing  guard  upon  the  Red  Sea.  Our 
trade  filtered  across  the  Gulf  of  Aden,  and  thence  by 
caravan  across  British  Somaliland  and  into  Ethiopia. 
Then  came  the  active  occupation  of  the  French  posses- 
sion by  the  keen-witted  Gaul,  the  creation  of  the 
port  of  Djibouti,  and  the  building  up  of  the  railroad 
from  that  point  into  Ethiopia.  The  line  was  put  into 
operation  during  the  summer  of  1903.  Plainly,  the 
camel  could  not  compete  as  a  common  carrier  with  the 
French  locomotive.  It  seemed  perfectly  well  assured 
that  the  trade  route  to  Abyssinia  over  British  soil  from 
Aden  to  Zeilah,  and  thence  to  Harrar,  must  give  way 
ultimately  to  the  more  advantageous  one  from  Djibouti 
into  the  interior.  No  spirit  of  prophecy  seemed 
necessary  to  perceive  that  the  forces  now  at  work  for 
the  development  of  Ethiopia  were,  at  least,  not  being 
created  for  the  furtherance  of  American  commercial 
ambition.  It  seemed  a  perfectly  obvious  business 
proposition  that  the  United  States  Government  should 
look  into  this  field,  where  we  had  an  actual  interest  of 
no  mean  importance,  and  defend  it  by  the  simple 
process  of  procuring  a  treaty  which  should  guarantee 
to  our  people  equal  treatment  in  respect  to  trade 
conditions.  We  wanted  to  get  more  trade  if  we  could, 
but  by  all  means,  and  with  no  matter  how  much 
reasonable  effort,  to  retain  for  ourselves  such  trade  as 


94  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

we  had.  We  had  had  no  official  relations  with  the 
empire  of  Ethiopia  ;  it  remained  the  one  spot  upon  the 
globe  where  a  powerful  government  exercised  authority 
over  some  millions  of  subjects  recognised  as  free  and 
independent,  and  had  absolutely  no  point  of  contact 
with  our  own.  It  is  difficult  to  find  any  large  centre 
of  international  trade  in  these  times  where  the  American 
Government  has  not  at  least  a  consular  agent  to  whom 
we  may  look  for  assistance  and  information.  It  was 
an  incongruous  and  irregular  condition,  and  one  which 
required  correction.  To  investigate  and  report  upon 
the  trade  possibilities  of  Ethiopia,  to  safeguard  our 
existing  interest  by  the  negotiation  of  a  commercial 
treaty — these  were  the  motives  which  had  prompted 
the  organization  of  the  American  mission,  and  concern- 
ing our  policy  we  had  nothing  more  to  disclose,  and 
nothing  whatever  to  conceal. 

The  Italians  have  been  represented  in  one  way  and 
another  in  Ethiopia  for  many  years.  The  early  history 
of  Italian-Abyssinian  diplomacy  is  very  complicated 
reading.  War  broke  out  between  the  two  Powers  in 
1896,  and  after  the  disaster  to  Italian  arms.  Major, 
then  Captain,  Ciccodicola  was  entrusted  with  the 
delicate  and  difficult  mission  of  recreating  Italian 
prestige.  No  one  who  has  visited  Ethiopia  has  failed 
to  note  the  success  attending  Major  Ciccodicola's 
efforts.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  he  was  directing  the 
building  of  a  telegraph  line  between  Addis-Ababa  and 
Massowah,  the  capital  of  the  Italian  coast  colony. 
We  had  passed  several  immense  camel  trains,  bringing 
up  bridge  trusses  and  other  steel  building  material 
forwarded  from  Milan — these  are  among  the  tangible 
evidences  of  the  vigorous  efforts  of  the  Italian  Minister 
to  worthily  represent  his  country.      He  is  a  perfect 


THE  FEENCH  LEGATION  95 

guide-book  upon  Ethiopia,  and  has  offered  many 
valuable  suggestions  bearing  upon  its  present  develop- 
ment. Major  Ciccodicola  told  me  of  his  attempt  to 
replace  American  cottons  with  Italian  sheetings.  '  But 
while  your  people  grow  nearly  all  the  world's  cotton,' 
said  he,  *  how  can  we  Italians  expect  to  force  you  out  ?' 

The  French  Legation  has  been  directed  for  many 
years  by  M.  Leon  Lagarde,  the  first  Governor  of  French 
Somaliland,  and  as  such  familiar  with  every  political 
development  in  North -East  Africa  during  the  last 
twenty  years.  The  French  material  interest  in 
Ethiopia  is  more  apparent  than  that  of  any  other 
nation,  and  it  concerns  mainly  at  the  present  time  the 
completion  and  operation  of  the  railroad  from  the 
coast.  Other  international  claims  and  pretences  are 
more  or  less  vague  and  remote ;  but  the  very  patent 
fact  is  that,  against  all  political  opposition,  financial 
difficulties,  and  the  passive  resistance  of  the  lowland 
tribes,  the  railroad  exists,  and  crosses  French  territory 
into  Abyssinia.  It  is  equally  the  fact  that  French 
business  men  are  scattered  throughout  the  Empire  to 
a  considerable  extent.  The  growth  of  Djibouti  as  a 
port  of  transit  depends  directly  upon  the  growth  and 
development  of  Ethiopia.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
inquire  why  the  French  settled  themselves  upon  the 
Red  Sea  coast  in  order  to  perceive  why  they  are 
very  greatly  concerned  with  the  progress  of  Ethiopia 
to-day. 

The  British  interests  are  in  charge  of  Sir  John  L. 
Harrington,  a  young  man,  who  has  come  up  from  the 
lower  grades  of  administrative  work  in  East  Africa, 
notably  as  the  agent  of  his  Government  in  British 
Somaliland.  Two-thirds  of  the  Ethiopian  frontier 
border  upon  British  territory  or  Egyptian  territory, 


96  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

and  it  is  easy  to  compreliend  how  these  long 
imaginary  lines  may  give  rise  to  complicated  ques- 
tions requiring  a  strong  hand  and  a  steady  head. 
British  commercial  interest  in  Ethiopia  has  not  yet 
manifested  itself  strikingly,  except  in  the  form  of 
considerable  importations  from  British  India,  and  in 
the  presence  in  the  country  of  numerous  Indian 
traders,  who  are  among  the  most  active  and  successful 
business  men  of  the  empire. 

We  come  now  to  the  most  interesting  mission  in 
Ethiopia,  because  it  is  the  least  comprehensible  by 
the  ordinary  rules  of  interest  which  govern  inter- 
national relations.  Our  Russian  friends  have  no 
apparent  stake  in  Ethiopia — or  at  least  that  which 
modern  society  regards  as  such.  There  are  no 
Russians  in  Ethiopia  other  than  official  Russians. 
There  is  no  Russian  trade  in  the  country,  and  there 
are  no  Russian  frontiers  nearer  than  Turkestan.  Yet 
the  Russian  mission  presided  over  by  the  accom- 
plished M.  Leschine,  the  Minister,  included  a  hospital 
and  dispensary,  together  with  doctors,  nurses, 
and  everything  else,  all  of  which  Ethiopia  enjoys 
without  money  and  without  price.  It  is  said  that 
some  very  strong  sympathy  exists  between  the  Russian 
and  the  Ethiopian  Churches.  The  Abouna  was  per- 
mitted to  appear  in  the  Russian  Church  as  an  ecclesi- 
astic, and  there  is  no  doubt  an  analogy,  if  not  a  kin- 
ship, between  the  two  religions.  I  fear  that  Europeans 
are  somewhat  sceptical,  however,  when  it  comes  to 
regarding  the  religious  bond  as  one  which  unites 
these  two  peoples  diplomatically.  If  Ethiopia 
I)0S8e8sed  a  coast-line,  it  would  be  exceedingly  easy 
to  assume  that  Russia  hoped  sooner  or  later  to  obtain 
a  Red  Sea  port ;  but  in  the  actual  state  of  affairs  no 


EUSSIAN  DIPLOMATIC  EFFORT  97 

sucli  ambition  can  be  entertained,  except  by  tbe  some- 
what fanciful  method  of  exchanging  Russian  influence 
in  Ethiopia  with  some  interested  European  Power  in 
a  position  to  give  to  the  Czar's  Government  the  pre- 
sumably coveted  Red  Sea  outlet.  The  real  inwardness 
of  Russian  diplomatic  effort  in  Ethiopia  is  a  never- 
ending  source  of  conversation  in  the  empire,  and 
many  ingenious  theories  are  spun  regarding  it,  one 
of  which  is  as  valuable  as  another.  Probably  in  what 
Pascal  calls  '  the  research  of  the  intention '  the  amateur 
in  politics  misses  the  true  cause,  in  order  to  spin  out 
theories  which  only  the  next  forty  years,  or  perhaps 
century,  can  demonstrate.  Let  us  be  reasonable,  then, 
and  assume  that,  Ethiopia  being  a  Christian  Power, 
now  important,  and  likely  to  become  more  important, 
and  ruled  by  wise  men,  it  is  a  safe  policy  for  Russia, 
as  for  any  other  great  nation,  both  as  a  measure  of 
prudence  and  a  measure  of  courtesy,  to  maintain 
cordial  relations  with  this  Power.  May  not  the 
mysteries  of  diplomacy,  here  as  elsewhere,  consist 
largely  in  the  fact  that  there  are  no  mysteries  ? 

There  are  two  other  diplomats  in  Ethiopia,  Ministers, 
not  of  European  Powers,  but  of  the  greatest  power 
upon  the  earth  —  modern  civilization.  These  two 
Ministers  are  also  official  counsellors  of  the  Emperor 
himself,  and  without  some  account  of  them  no  report 
concerning  Ethiopia  would  be  complete.  These  two 
men  are  Alfred  Ilg  and  L^on  Chefneux.  The  first 
is  a  Swiss  and  the  second  a  Frenchman.  Both  have 
lived  many  years  in  the  country,  both  have  had  faith 
in  Menelik  and  sympathy  with  his  people.  M.  Hg 
I  knew  slightly  from  an  acquaintance  formed  in 
France,  and  I  regretted  his  absence  on  the  occasion 
of  our  visit.     He  came  into  the  country  about  1877, 

7 


98  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

with  two  of  his  compatriots,  having  just  left  the 
famous  polytechnical  school  of  Zurich.  The  Emperor 
had  sent  for  three  competent  men  through  a  Swiss 
correspondent  at  Aden.  At  that  time  the  Ethiopians 
were  inclined  to  beheve  that  Western  superiority  in 
the  arts  and  trades  resulted  from  certain  formulae  or 
inexplicable  cleverness  rather  than  in  consequence  of 
patient  scientific  effort.  M.  Ilg  was  commanded  to 
make  His  Majesty  a  pair  of  shoes.  A  wise  man  in  his 
generation,  and  a  Swiss,  this  able  gentleman  took  apart 
an  old  pair  of  shoes  for  purposes  of  study,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  gratifying  the  Emperor's  wish.  The  story 
goes  that  the  Emperor  thereupon  desired  to  know  if  a 
rifle  could  be  made  from  the  resources  of  the  country 
then  and  there. 

'  What  is  the  use  of  trying  ?'  replied  M.  Ilg.  *  It 
would  cost  far  more  than  a  fine  European  rifle,  and 
would  be  necessarily  crude.' 

The  curiosity  of  the  Emperor  was  persistent,  and 
]\L  Ilg  made  the  rifle.  These  were  the  awakenings  of 
Menelik  to  an  adequate  conception  of  modem  pro- 
gress. With  his  extraordinary  assimilative  powers,  he 
absorbed  from  the  graduate  of  Zurich  the  education 
which  has  stood  him  in  good  stead  in  handling  the 
ship  of  State.  M.  Ilg  acquired  his  status  as  adviser 
and  Minister,  not  alone  by  intelligence  and  zeal,  but 
by  an  affectionate  and  appreciative  loyalty  to  his 
chief. 

M.  Chefneux  came  into  the  country  about  the  same 
time  as  M.  Hg.  A  French  merchant,  having  been 
granted  a  concession  for  the  agricultural  exploitation 
of  the  Hawash  vaUey,  advertised  for  men  capable  of 
carrying  on  the  enterprise.  The  company  went  to 
pieces  before  M.  Chefneux,  then  a  very  young  man, 


THE  EAILEOAD  99 

had  gotten  farther  than  Obock  on  the  coast.  About 
this  time  another  Frenchman,  Paul  Soleillet,  sent 
down  a  cargo  of  arms,  and  finding  young  Chefneux 
upon  the  point  of  penetrating  the  country,  proposed 
that  he  take  a  sample  of  the  rifles  to  Menelik,  then 
only  the  King  of  Choa.  M.  Chefneux  took  four  rifles, 
armed  as  many  natives,  travelled  by  night  and  hid 
by  day,  and  thus  crossed  the  dangerous  coast  belt. 
Menelik  agreed  to  purchase  the  cargo,  and  sent  a 
caravan  of  ivory  to  the  coast  to  pay  for  the  shipment. 
Soleillet's  principals  thereupon  refused  to  make 
delivery,  and  young  Chefneux  went  on  to  Paris, 
where  he  procured  from  other  sources  the  arms 
required.  From  that  beginning  he  remained  at  the 
elbow  of  the  Emperor,  making  common  cause  with 
M.  Ilg  for  the  aggrandizement  of  the  Emperor's  power 
and  the  development  of  his  people. 

An  interregnimi  of  Italian  influence  followed  the 
first  ten  years  of  M.  Chefneux's  friendship.  There- 
after both  MM.  Chefneux  and  Ilg,  who  had  lost 
ground,  were  recalled  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the 
political  conditions  then  existing.  When  the  breach 
with  Italy  occurred,  these  two  men,  loyal  to  their 
adopted  country,  contributed  immensely  to  the 
Emperor's  fortunes,  and  have  ever  since  remained 
his  tried  and  true  friends. 

Next  to  the  war  with  Italy,  the  most  important 
modern  event  in  Abyssinian  history  is  the  construction 
of  the  railroad  from  Djibouti  to  Dir^-Daouah.  It  is  the 
conception  of  both  MM.  Bg  and  Chefneux.  It  was  in- 
evitable that  two  such  intensely  practical  men  should 
regard  the  connection  of  the  inaccessible  empire 
with  the  outer  world  as  necessary,  not  only  as  an 
economical  venture  abundantly  justified  by  the  hidden 

7—2 


100  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

riches  of  Ethiopia,  but  as  essential  to  the  political 
salvation  of  the  country,  which  must  advance  or 
wliich  must  fall,  as  have  fallen  all  other  empires  whose 
rulers  were  unable  to  justify  their  lease  of  power. 
The  Emperor  followed  them  in  their  reasoning,  and 
granted  a  concession  for  a  period  of  ninety-nine  years, 
commencing  from  the  date  of  the  first  exploitation. 
The  essential  provision  of  the  concession  is  that  it 
carries  with  it  the  right  to  collect  an  ad  valorem  duty 
of  10  per  cent,  upon  all  merchandise  entering  or 
leaving  the  country,  this  tax  to  be  reduced  one-half 
whenever  the  net  profits  of  the  company  shall  amount 
to  2,500,000  francs,  and  to  cease  to  exist  when  they 
attain  3,000,000  francs.  It  is  further  provided  that 
when  the  company's  net  profits  exceed  3,000,000 
francs  annually,  the  surplus  above  shall  be  divided 
between  the  company  and  the  Ethiopian  Government. 

The  railroad  projectors  met  with  every  conceivable 
embarrassment  in  the  construction  of  the  first  section 
of  the  line  from  Djibouti  to  Dire-Daouah.  Indifference 
in  France — for  the  railroad  had  to  traverse  the  French 
colony — active  opposition  from  the  savage  Issas  of 
the  desert,  and  chronic  need  of  funds — these  were 
the  trials  which  would  have  discouraged  any  men  less 
resolutely  determined  than  Leon  Chefneux  and  Alfred 
Hg.  Eventually,  when  private  capital  seemed  to 
hesitate,  it  became  necessary  for  the  French  Govern- 
ment to  guarantee  the  bonds  of  the  company. 

The  railroad  was  opened  on  January  1,  1903,  from 
Djibouti  to  Dir^Daouah,  a  distance  of  310  kilometres. 
The  line  is  built  upon  a  1-metre  gauge,  with  bridges 
and  viaducts  of  iron  and  steel,  and  rolling-stock  equal 
to  that  employed  on  European  railroads  of  a  secondarj^ 
order,  and  the  traffic  is  said  to  be  increasing  from 


HIGH  FEEIGHT  BATES  101 

month  to  month.  The  company  made  what  American 
railway  managers  would  regard  as  a  capital  error 
in  establishing  at  first  exceedingly  high  freight  rates. 
In  a  country  where  commerce,  except  in  a  very 
limited  sense,  does  not  exist,  and  where  the  ultimate 
success  of  the  railroad  as  a  business  proposition  must 
depend  upon  the  creation  of  a  non-existent  trade,  it 
was  very  necessary  that  the  freight  rates  should  be 
put  doAvn  to  a  low  level.  Instead  of  so  doing,  the 
traffic  managers  established  tariffs  not  seriously  lower 
than  those  for  which  freight  could  be  transported  by 
camel.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  up-country 
merchants  found  little  encouragement,  and  the  volume 
of  business  failed  to  increase  in  the  >  proportions 
desired.  Better  counsels  have  prevailed,  and  even 
while  the  Americans  were  in  Ethiopia  the  then  pre- 
vailing traffic  tariffs  were  materially  modified,  with 
beneficial  results,  and  it  is  altogether  probable  that 
this  enlightened  policy  will  be  put  into  effect  to  a  still 
more  marked  degree  as  time  goes  on. 

It  will  require  three  or  four  years  to  connect  Addis- 
Ababa  with  the  line  already  built,  a  distance  of  prob- 
ably 300  miles.  When  this  great  enterprise  is  accom- 
plished, Ethiopia  will  be  in  a  position  to  convert  her 
vast  treasures  of  natural  wealth  into  monej'-,  and  to 
join  her  sister  trading  nations  of  the  world.  Until 
the  completion  of  this  enterprise  she  must  remain 
interesting  commercially  only  in  anticipation,  and 
poHtically  as  a  remarkable  historical  fact.  When  the 
railroad  is  completed,  we  may  reasonably  expect  to 
see  the  quickening  to  modern  methods  of  a  population 
of  first-rate  intelligence,  intrinsically  capable  of  meeting 
the  competition  of  the  Western  world. 

I  once   suggested  to  the    Emperor   that  he   send 


102  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

some  of  his  young  men  to  our  American  schools  and 
colleges. 

*  Yes,  that  mil  come,'  said  he ;  *  our  young  men 
must  be  educated.  We  have  much  to  do.  We  are  a 
very  primitive  people.' 

The  remark  was  not  without  its  significance.  It 
showed  a  desire  to  see  education  spread,  and  it  showed 
an  entire  absence  of  that  self-sufficiency  attributed 
by  some  writers  to  the  Abyssinian  nation.  A  recent 
English  writer  upon  Abyssinia  has  said,  speaking  of 
their  attributed  immodesty  :  *  It  is  no  doubt  remark- 
able that  a  nation  of  niggers  possessing  three  hundred 
thousand  rifles  should  take  a  tone  different  from  that 
of  niggers  who  are  not  permitted  to  possess  any.' 
This  is  a  very  harsh  and  unsympathetic  way  of  dis- 
missing a  great  people,  but  it  reflects  the  spirit  in 
which  a  large  proportion  of  recent  travellers  have 
visited  the  co^mtrJ^  The  word  *  nigger,'  in  its  English 
sense,  is  bereft  of  that  half-affectionate  swing  which 
it  acquires  in  America,  and  it  is  meant  to  stamp  with 
the  seal  of  contempt  the  person  to  whom  it  is  applied. 
In  the  case  of  the  writer  quoted,  it  showed  an  unwil- 
lingness to  tmderstand,  and  an  inability  to  sympathize 
with,  a  race  of  men  who  have  asked  nothing  of  the 
world  save  to  be  left  alone  with  their  independence 
and  their  old  civilization. 

Though  this  may  be  the  national  aspiration,  it  has 
been  fully  recognised,  I  think,  that  further  enlighten- 
ment is  necessary  to  a  perpetuation  of  that  indepen- 
dence. If  Menelik  lives,  he  will  very  probably 
stimulate  his  young  men  to  take  an  active  interest 
in  education,  and  to  fit  themselves  for  carrying  on  the 
work  which  he  has  begun.  To-day  the  great  obstacle 
to  the  education  of  Ethiopian  youths  in  foreign  col- 


LACK  OF  EDUCATION  103 

leges  is  the  almost  complete  lack  of  proper  rudi- 
mentary training.  Exceedingly  few  persons  are  able 
to  read  or  write.  The  schools  seem  unable  to  get 
beyond  instruction  in  the  Gospels,  and  to  find  proper 
material  for  an  intellectual  uplifting  it  wiU  be 
necessary  for  students  to  take  long  preliminary  courses 
in  the  most  elementary  studies. 

'  It  wiU  come,'  said  M.  Chefneux,  '  but  it  will  come 
slowly.' 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  Ethiopian  prohlem. 

The  concession  under  which  the  railroad  from  Djibouti 
to  Dird-Daouah  has  been  built  was  obtained  when  to 
the  world  at  large  Ethiopia  was  scarcely  more  than  a 
mildly  interesting  geographical  fact.  It  was  dated 
March  9,  1894,  prior  to  the  disaster  to  Italian  arms, 
prior  to  the  victory  of  Kitchener  at  Omdurman,  and 
before  there  was  any  general  realization  of  the 
strategic  or  economic  importance  of  the  empire. 
The  concession  was  granted  to  Alfred  Hg,  who  was 
authorized  to  organize  a  company  under  the  name 
of  the  Imperial  Railway  Company  of  Ethiopia.  It  was 
provided  that  the  system  of  railways  in  view  should 
consist  of  three  sections :  The  first  from  Djibouti  to 
Harrar,  the  second  from  Harrar  to  Entoto,  the  third 
from  Entoto  to  the  White  Nile.  The  first  section  is 
now  built,  and  is  in  operation.  It  extends  from 
Djibouti  to  Dir^-Daouah,  however,  a  new  town  one 
day's  journey  distant  from  Harrar.  It  is  of  capital 
importance  to  remember  that  the  contract  as  signed, 
while  it  gave  the  concessionnaires  the  ultimate  right 
to  build  and  exploit  the  three  lines  described,  stated 
in  explicit  terms  that  the  immediate  right  to  build 
extended  only  to  the  line  from  Djibouti  to  Harrar,  and 

104 


THE  ETHIOPIAN  PEOBLEM  105 

added  that  'no  other  company  would  be  authorized 
to  construct  competing  lines.'  It  was  clearly  the 
intention  of  the  Emperor  to  have  the  first  section, 
extending  from  the  sea  across  French  Somaliland, 
built  and  in  operation  before  he  should  lay  down  the 
conditions  for  the  completion  of  the  other  lines  across 
his  own  territory.  These  facts  have  enabled  rival 
interests  to  prevent  the  extension  of  the  existing  lines 
beyond  Dir^-Daouah,  and  have  given  rise  to  what  is 
called  the  Abyssinian  problem.  The  original  conces- 
sion has  been  confirmed  several  times,  but  for 
prudential  reasons  the  Emperor  has  thus  far  failed 
to  signify  the  conditions  under  which  construction 
might  proceed,  and  if  from  a  legal  point  of  view  he 
may  be  regarded  as  free  to  establish  these  conditions, 
the  actual  cause  of  delay  is  the  inability  of  the 
European  Powers  represented  at  Addis-Ababa  to  agree 
upon  a  practical  plan  of  procedure. 

If  Messrs.  Hg  and  Chefneux  had  been  in  control  of 
abundant  means  from  the  inception  of  the  enterprise, 
it  is  altogether  probable  that  their  complete  plans 
would  have  been  carried  out  several  years  ago,  to  the 
great  material  advantage  of  the  territory  involved. 
Their  fate  has  been  that  of  many  other  strong-willed 
men,  balked,  but  not  defeated,  by  the  timidity  of 
others.  They  attacked  their  problem  fearlessly  ;  they 
found  money,  and  they  began  to  build  across  the 
desert  long  before  diplomatic  circles  thought  or 
cared  about  the  subject.  In  fact,  so  indifferent  were 
Governments,  and  particularly  the  French  Goverimaent, 
which  had  most  at  stake,  that  when  the .  original 
capital  controlled  by  Messrs.  Ilg  and  Chefneux  had 
been  absorbed,  and  when  French  capital  hesitated,  a 
British  group,  known  as  the  International  Ethiopian 


106  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Railway  Trust  and  Construction  Company,  took 
shares  and  debentures  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was 
feared  for  a  time  that  control  would  pass  by  simple 
commercial  process  from  French  to  British  hands. 
Probably  there  would  have  been  no  great  objection 
in  France  to  such  a  transfer  of  interest,  but  for  the 
underlying  fear  that,  with  French  stockholders  in  the 
minority,  the  Anglicized  company  would  build  a 
short  connecting  -  line  from  Dir^-Daouah  to  Zeilah 
or  Berbera  in  British  Somaliland,  thereby  developing 
either  of  those  ports  at  the  expense  of  Djibouti.  To 
defeat  any  such  possibility,  a  campaign  in  the  French 
newspapers  and  before  French  Chambers  of  Com- 
merce followed,  with  the  immediate  object  of  securing 
from  the  French  Treasury  the  financial  support 
necessary  to  prevent  the  passing  of  control  to  British 
financiers.  The  pressure  thus  brought  to  bear  effected 
the  desired  end.  I  think  it  is  rather  conceded  now 
that  the  exigency  which  induced  prompt  action  in 
France  resulted  in  a  convention  which  failed  to  take 
into  consideration  the  point  of  view  of  the  Emperor 
of  Ethiopia.  The  convention  referred  to  was  signed 
on  February  6,  1902,  by  ofiicers  of  the  Ethiopian 
Railway  Company  and  the  French  colonial  officers  of 
the  Somali  coast.  The  contract  provides  that  'the 
Protectorate  of  the  French  Somaliland  accords  to  the 
Imperial  Ethiopian  Railway  Company  a  subvention  of 
500,000  francs,  payable  annually  during  fifty  years 
from  July  1,  1902.  This  subvention  will  be  devoted 
exclusively  to  the  guarantee  of  the  loans  to  be  obtained 
by  the  company  for  the  payment  of  expenses  limited  by 
Article  X.  of  the  present  convention.  In  consequence, 
the  company  constitutes  as  a  gage  to  future  creditors 
or  lenders  to  assure  payment  of  interest  and  sinking 


THE  ETHIOPIAN  PROBLEM  107 

fund  the  annual  credits  acquired  by  the  company  in 
virtue  of  the  present  convention.' 

The  financial  assistance  thus  sought  and  obtained 
was  granted  in  return  for  certain  enumerated  rights, 
which  the  railroad  company  had  no  power  to  confer, 
and  which  may  be  summarized  thus  : 

Article  V.,  paragraph  8,  provides  that  neither  the 
temporary  nor  definite  cession  of  all  or  part  of  the 
lines  conceded  to  the  company  between  Djibouti  and 
the  Hawash  valley,  either  by  sale,  lease,  or  otherwise, 
can  take  place  except  with  the  consent  of  the  French 
Ministers  for  the  Colonies  and  Foreign  Affairs  and 
Finance. 

Article  VI.,  paragraph  2, provides  that  no  branch  lines 
connecting  with  the  main  system  between  Djibouti 
and  the  Hawash  valley  may  be  constructed  except 
with  the  authorization  of  the  Ministers  for  the  Colonies 
and  Foreign  Affairs.  This  provision  is  intended  to 
prevent  any  possible  connection  with  Zeilah  or 
Berbera,  and  to  guarantee  that  all  Abyssinian  com- 
merce shall  be  drained  through  Djibouti. 

Article  IX.,  paragraph  3,  provides  that  the  French 
Legation  in  Ethiopia  shall  have  control  of  measures 
looking  to  security  and  good  order  upon  the  lines 
exploited  in  Ethiopian  territory. 

Article  XIV.,  paragraph  2,  provides  that  upon  the 
expiration  of  the  concessionary  period  of  ninety-nine 
years  the  French  colony  shall  become  automatically 
proprietor  of  the  lines  from  Djibouti  to  Dir^-Daouah, 
a  considerable  portion  of  which  is  on  Ethiopian  soil. 

Article  XV.,  paragraph  1,  provides  that  after  Janu- 
ary 1, 1920,  the  French  colony  may  acquire  the  conces- 
sion covering  lines  from  Djibouti  to  the  Hawash  valley. 

Article  XVI.,  paragraph  3,  provides  that  upon  the  ex- 


108  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

piration  of  the  concession,  the  lines  from  Djibouti  to 
the  Hawash  valley  shall  be  confiscated. 

The  inability  of  the  railway  company  to  confer  these 
privileges  was  tacitly  recognised  by  Article  XVIII., 
which  declares  that  the  paragraphs  above  shall  be 
applicable  *  under  reserve  as  to  an  understanding 
between  the  French  and  Ethiopian  Governments  for 
the  lines  situated  beyond  French  territory.'  As  before 
stated,  the  first  branch  of  the  railroad,  from  Djibouti 
to  Dir^-Daouah,  is  in  operation  to-day,  and  it  is  in 
operation  because  of  the  timely  help  of  the  French 
Government,  and  the  company's  concession  or  exclu- 
sive right  to  build  the  other  branches  is  still  perfectly 
valid.  In  the  meantime  the  existing  line,  while  a 
great  convenience,  is  of  comparatively  little  commercial 
importance,  and  this  condition  must  persist  until 
extensions  are  constructed  into  the  rich  producing 
regions  of  Abyssinia.  From  the  point  of  view  of  the 
Ethiopian  Government  it  is  undesirable  to  permit  the 
extension  of  the  existing  line  by  the  Imperial  Railway 
Company  of  Ethiopia,  while  that  company  is  bound 
down  by  a  contract  whereby  a  foreign  Power  seeks 
to  obtain  contingent  rights  in  a  large  part  of  the 
empire,  and  absolute  control  of  the  means  of  transpor- 
tation. Therefore  the  Emperor  has  steadfastly  refused 
to  formulate  the  limitation  clauses  regarding  the 
building  of  the  additional  lines,  or  to  come  to  the 
understanding  referred  to  in  Article  XVIII.  above, 
and  in  this  position  is  sustained  by  other  Powers  with 
political  interests  at  stake. 

Efforts  have  been  made,  and  probably  are  now 
being  made,  to  secure  from  France  a  waiver  of  the 
exclusive  rights  thus  far  acquired,  and  the  substitution 
of  some  fonn  of  international  control,  but  so  far  without 


THE  ETHIOPIAN  PEOBLBM  109 

definite  results.  In  the  meantime  the  Emperor  would 
veiy  much  like  to  see  the  railroad  built.  The  Colonial 
Dispatch  of  May  18,  1905,  in  a  report  which  I  fully 
credit,  declares  that  on  April  11,  1905,  the  Emperor 
summoned  the  foreign  representatives  and  railroad 
concessionnaires,  to  whom  he  complained  that  since 
three  years  work  had  ceased  on  the  railroad,  and  that 
he  could  obtain  no  proposal  reconciling  international 
interests.  He  then  threatened  to  put  an  end  to  the 
conflict  by  undertaking  to  construct  the  lines  across 
the  empire  himself,  '  without  asking  or  accepting 
assistance  from  anyone.'  The  Emperor  also  said  at 
this  meeting  that  he  was  obliged  to  express  his  regrets 
at  the  continued  existence  of  a  convention  into  which 
the  French  company  had  entered  in  1902  with  the 
French  Government,  and  in  which  his  own  supremacy 
was  threatened.  He  had  always  looked  upon  the 
construction  of  the  railroad  as  a  commercial  enterprise, 
and  never  expected  it  to  become  a  political  instrmnent 
in  foreign  hands.  He  spoke  of  his  astonishment  and 
displeasure  when  this  agreement  was  submitted  to 
him,  and  added  that  he  had  charged  the  French 
Minister  to  inform  his  Government  that  he  disproved 
of  this  convention. 

The  accuracy  of  the  foregoing  is  largely  confirmed  in 
a  report  to  the  French  Chamber  of  Deputies  published 
in  Annexe  No.  2,661  of  Parliamentary  Documents  for 
1906,  in  which  the  following  statements  are  made  : 

'After  three  years  of  effort  the  railroad  company 
saw  itself  obliged  to  sell  a  large  portion  of  shares 
upon  the  London  market,  and  at  the  same  time 
engaged  a  part  of  its  bonds  to  guarantee  loans 
proffered  by  British  houses.  Inmaediately  the  British 
holders  syndicated  themselves  with  the  intention  of 


110  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

substituting  themselves  for  the  French  company,  and 
did  not  hesitate  to  avow  that  they  pursued  above  all 
a  political  end.  The  President  of  the  Trust,  Lord 
Chesterfield,  declared  without  subterfuge,  to  a  general 
assembly,  that  his  idea  was  to  replace  the  French 
management  by  a  British  management,  as  this  would 
result  in  the  ruin  of  our  port  of  Djibouti,  and  to  the 
advantage  of  the  neighbouring  port  of  Berbera,  situated 
in  British  Somaliland.  Opinion  in  France  becoming 
alarmed  by  this  prospect,  the  public  powers  com- 
menced to  preoccupy  themselves  with  the  situation. 
Therefore,  Parliament  voted  in  February  1,  1902, 
a  convention  by  which  the  Somaliland  Protectorate 
was  authorized  to  provide  the  railway  company  with 
a  subvention  of  500,000  francs  during  twenty-five"^' 
years,  and  on  its  side  the  railway  company  imdertook 
to  disinterest  foreign  creditors,  and  to  conform  to 
certain  prescribed  conditions  in  the  contract — that  is 
to  say,  effective  control  by  the  State,  right  of  pre- 
emption on  the  part  of  the  French  Government  in 
case  of  cession  or  liquidation,  etc.  Unhappily,  certain 
articles  of  the  convention  voted  by  Parliament  aroused 
the  suspicion  of  the  Ethiopians.  While  a  definite 
solution  is  being  awaited,  the  railway  company,  which 
is  in  a  precarious  condition,  continues  to  provide  itself 
on  the  British  markets,  and  the  lenders  increase  their 
exigencies  in  proportion  as  the  amount  of  their  credits 
advances.  Thus  they  have  reached  the  point  of 
dictating  their  will  to  the  French  group,  and  demand  of 
the  French  society  itself  the  internationalization  of  the 
railroad. 

*  The  period  here  named  should  read  fifty  years,  according  to 
the  text  of  the  official  convention  signed  by  the  French  Govern- 
ment.—R.  P.  S. 


THE  ETHIOPIAN  PKOBLEM  111 

*  The  railroad  cannot  remain  French  except  by  an 
accord  with  our  rivals,  to  whom  it  should  be  easy  for 
us  to  offer  compensations,  because  they  also  possess 
in  Ethiopia  interests  which  we  might  contest.  England 
desires  to  delimit  the  frontiers  on  the  north-west, 
west,  and  south,  and  also  desires  the  acquisition  of  a 
passage  upon  the  high  Ethiopian  plateau  for  the 
railroad  from  the  Cape  to  Cairo,  which  under  the 
authorization  of  1902  would  follow  the  marshy  low- 
lands. Italy  desires  to  lose  nothing  of  her  economic 
advantages  in  the  region,  and  should  act  willingly  in 
accord  with  us  when  certain  that  we  will  respect 
those  interests.  Therefore  there  is  nothing  to  prevent 
an  understanding  with  our  rivals,  and  even  that  we 
should  give  them  a  place  in  the  management  of  the 
railroad  provided  that  the  administrative  council 
of  the  company  contains  a  French  majority.' 

In  spite  of  the  cheerful  optimism  of  this  report,  the 
internationalization  and  the  desired  understanding 
with  the  Emperor's  Government  have  not  been 
realized  as  I  revise  these  lines  in  May,  1906.  The 
Emperor  has,  on  the  other  hand,  taken  a  first  step  in 
execution  of  his  threat  to  build  the  line  himself  if  the 
international  agreement  could  not  be  brought  about, 
as  I  have  been  advised  by  several  correspondents  in 
Ethiopia  that  a  large  number  of  workmen  are  now 
being  employed,  and  that  the  grading  has  been  com- 
pleted for  a  considerable  distance  from  Addis-Ababa, 
the  work  proceeding  towards  Dir^-Daouah.  The 
Emperor  himself  is  providing  the  labourers,  and  the 
work  is  proceeding  under  the  general  direction  of  the 
railroad  company,  presumably  with  the  expectation 
that  an  eventual  settlement  will  be  had,  which  will 
enable  that  company  to  take  over  the  portion  of  the 


112  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

line  for  which  the  Emperor  is  now   furnishing  the 
funds. 

Certainly  every  well-wisher  of  Ethiopia  must  hope 
that  this  misunderstanding,  which  is  retarding  material 
progress,  will  soon  be  cleared  up,  and  that  the  line 
may  be  completed  under  conditions  which  will  safe- 
guard the  independence  of  the  Ethiopians  themselves, 
with  reasonable  recognition  of  the  efforts  and  sacrifices 
of  the  Europeans  who  have  already  devoted  their  time 
and  their  money  to  this  great  enterprise.* 

*  In  July,  1906,  the  press  despatches  announced  an  accord 
between  France,  Italy,  and  Great  Britain  as  imminent,  adding 
that  no  convention  would  be  signed,  however,  until  it  could  be 
referred  to  the  Emperor  Menelik  for  his  approval. 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  Emperor  invites  3,000  friends  to  banquet  with  us — ^The 
Ethiopian  cuisine — Souvenirs  for  His  Majesty — The  Emperor 
returns  our  call — Testing  Abyssinian  sang-froid — The  suc- 
cession. 

Being  now  launched  into  the  business  for  which  we 

had   come,  and  introduced   to  Ethiopian   diplomatic 

and  local  society,  the  Emperor  proposed  a  luncheon 

in  our  honour  on  Sunday  morning.     We  had  heard  of 

these  Pantagruelesque  banquets,  and  we  had  regretted 

to  learn,  shortly  before  reaching  the  capital,  that  none 

would  probably  take  place   during   our  visit,  since 

the   Emperor,  as  head   of  the  Church,  had   entered 

upon  the  fasting  period  preceding  Christmas.     Every 

foreigner  who  visits  the  country  hears  of  these  feasts, 

and  desires  to  be  present  at  one,  as  the  culminating 

social  experience  of  his  stay.     The  Negus,  doubtless 

anticipating  this  wish,  very  considerately  determined 

to  suspend  the  fast,  in  order  to  give  us  this  pleasure 

before  our  departure. 

M.  Chefneux  told  us  to  be  ready  to  leave  for  the 

Guebi    at    nine    o'clock,   and    the   American    party, 

including    officers,    marines,    sailors,    and    servants, 

excluding  only  a  sufficient  number  to  look  after  our 

goods  and  chattels,  filed  out  of  the  palace  of  the  Ras 

Oualdo  Gorghis  at  about  that  hour.     We  foregathered 

in  the  small  audience-hall  of  the  Guebi,  where  had 

113  8 


114  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

also  assembled  the  gentlemen  of  the  diplomatic  corps, 
resplendent  in  their  most  brilliant  raiment.  Here 
again  we  waited.  Various  generals  and  colonels, 
masters  of  the  household,  the  *  Mouth  of  the  King  of 
Kings,'  and  smaller  fry,  joined  the  party,  and  there 
was  a  spirit  of  good-humour  and  prevalence  of  small 
talk  which  spoke  Avell  for  the  Ethiopian  faculty  of 
relieving  a  State  function  of  unnecessary  stiffness. 
Finally,  a  procession  was  formed,  and  we  traversed 
numerous  courts  into  the  same  aderach,  or  large  hall, 
where  our  first  reception  had  taken  place  some  days 
before.  We  entered  through  a  side  door,  and  felt 
much  as  though  we  had  penetrated  behind  the  scenes 
of  a  theatre.  A  large  curtain  separated  the  platform 
upon  which  we  stood  from  the  body  of  the  chamber. 
The  Emperor  was  upon  his  throne,  with  a  small  table 
before  him,  and  a  long  table  laid  in  the  conventional 
manner,  with  twelve  covers,  had  been  placed  to  the 
left  of  the  throne.  The  Emperor  greeted  us  in  the 
most  unaffected  way,  shaking  hands  and  smiling  upon 
everybody.  Thereupon  we  took  the  chairs  assigned 
to  us,  and  unfolded  our  snowy -white  napkins 
embroidered  with  the  Emperor's  arms  in  red,  the 
royal  colour.  The  soldiers  and  sailors  in  the  mean- 
time had  been  taken  to  another  portion  of  the  building, 
and  were  there  served  with  the  same  excellent  menu 
which  had  been  prepared  for  us.  An  unoccupied 
chair  at  the  head  of  our  table  indicated  where  Majesty 
constructively  sat. 

*  You  see,'  explained  M.  Chefneux,  who  pointed  out 
to  us  the  prominent  persons  present,  and  all  the  in- 
teresting incidents,  *  when  the  presence  of  a  diplomatic 
corps  made  it  necessary  to  the  Emperor  to  entertain 
his  guests  in  the  French  manner,  he  desired  to  show 


THE  LUNCHEON  115 

them  every  courtesy  possible.  As  His  Majesty  prefers 
the  Ethiopian  dishes  and  method  of  serving  them,  he 
lighted  upon  the  expedient  of  providing  a  cover  for 
himself  at  the  European  table.  By  a  polite  fiction 
which  we  maintain  he  sits  with  his  guests  and 
presides.  In  fact,  he  is  upon  his  throne,  as  you  can 
very  well  see.' 

The  luncheon  was  served,  and  was  accompanied  by 
wines  from  a  very  well  stocked  cellar.  The  delightful 
picturesqueness  of  the  occasion  was  helped  out  by  the 
white-robed  vassals,  who  followed  the  ancient  custom 
of  pouring  a  drop  or  two  from  every  bottle  into  the 
palms  of  their  hands,  and  drinking  them  first,  as  a 
demonstration  of  good  faith.  His  Majesty  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  highest  dignitaries  of  the  empire, 
most  of  them  old  men  with  fine  bronzed  features. 
They  did  not  eat  while  the  Emperor  was  being  served. 
Only  the  greatest  and  most  faithful  may  witness  the 
Emperor  in  the  act  of  eating,  and  none  may  eat  in 
his  presence.  This  rule  is  relaxed  in  favour  of  the 
diplomatic  corps  and  such  foreigners  as  are  some- 
times asked  to  luncheon,  on  the  ground  that  they 
represent  the  persons  of  His  Majesty's  equals. 

We  were  all  very  gay,  even  to  the  Emperor  himself. 
Frequently  he  would  send  over  for  our  delectation 
one  of  his  Ethiopian  dainties.  These  dishes  were 
invariably  seasoned  with  some  sort  of  concentrated 
fire  which  seemed  to  race  through  the  system  and 
scarify  the  whole  alimentarj'-  tract.  The  Emperor 
nodded  cheerfully  over  our  difficulties,  and  recom- 
mended copious  drafts  of  a  fine  musty  old  tedj  to 
relieve  the  situation.  One  or  two  of  his  special  dishes 
seasoned  for  our  effete  palates  were  indeed  good. 
There  was  a  dried  fish,  for  example,  served  with  rice, 

8—2 


116  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

which  I  found  excellent.  The  chef-d'oeuvre  of  the 
Ethiopian  cuisine  proved  to  be  small  pieces  of  steak 
grilled  on  both  sides  and  served  hot.  These  are 
called  teps.  Then  there  was  gommen,  consisting  of 
forced  meat  cooked  with  chopped  cabbage,  and  ovat, 
a  sort  of  ragout  of  meat  and  red  pepper.  As  explained 
before,  these  native  dishes  were  merely  incidental  to 
a  thoroughly  good  European  breakfast,  and  were  sent 
over  to  us  in  order  that  we  might  have  a  full  know- 
ledge of  the  most  notable  products  of  the  most 
eminent  cook  in  Ethiopia.  At  each  of  our  places  we 
found  both  French  roUs  and  native  ingeras,  or  bread 
in  the  form  of  round,  flat  cakes,  such  as  had  been 
delivered  to  us  with  the  durgo  at  numerous  encamp- 
ments. When  Major  Ciccodicola  had  initiated  me 
into  the  proper  manner  of  eating  these  ingeras,  by 
folding  them  twice  and  breaking  off  morsels  from  the 
small  end  of  the  now  fan-shaped  cake,  these  morsels 
being  then  dipped  into  a  meat  sauce,  I  found  them 
very  palatable. 

We  had  done  valiant  service  through  thirteen 
courses,  when  it  became  evident  that  both  the 
Emperor  and  his  guests  were  nearing  the  end,  and 
when  the  communicative  warmth  of  the  banquet 
and  the  generous  provision  of  champagne  suggested 
toasts.  The  Minister  of  Italy  performed  the  agreeable 
task,  on  behalf  of  his  brethren,  of  drinking  to  the 
health  of  the  Emperor,  including  in  his  eloqiient  effort 
some  very  friendly  expressions  in  regard  to  the  United 
States.  The  Emperor  nodded  approvingly,  and  drank 
back  to  peace  and  progress  as  represented  at  his 
board.  The  good  wishes  of  the  Western  for  the 
Eastern  world  were  then  voiced  by  the  American 
representative,    after   which   the   speech-making   was 


THE  GENERAL  BANQUET  BEGINS  117 

over.  Oratory  ordinarily  lias  very  little  vogue  in 
Abyssinia.  Now  a  silver  ewer  and  basin  were  brought 
before  the  throne,  the  imperial  hands  touched  the 
water  and  were  dried,  and  it  was  time  for  the  general 
banquet  to  begin. 

The  curtain  was  drawn  back,  and  while  the  dis- 
tinguished guests  drank  coffee  and  smoked,  the 
audience  -  hall  slowly  filled  with  the  more  lowly 
invitees,  who  took  their  places  around  small  tables, 
or  tabourets,  seating  themselves  upon  the  floor.  A 
band  of  shawm-players  entered,  and  continued  their 
melancholy  music  throughout  the  feast.  There  must 
have  been  1,200  guests  around  these  little  tables,  and 
there  were  as  many  more  to  come  when  the  first  lot 
had  eaten  their  fill.  A  most  impressive  feature  of 
this  banquet  was  the  extraordinary  order  which 
prevailed.  The  guests  consisted  of  functionaries, 
military  officers,  and  prominent  subjects — all  men 
who  knew  their  places,  and  who  very  quietly  took 
them.     Nobody  was  in  a  hurry. 

Presence  at  this  and  similar  functions  is  the 
Ethiopian  equivalent  to  being  presented  at  Court ;  it 
is  the  haU-mark  of  respectable  station.  M.  Chefneux 
mentioned  the  number  of  sheep  and  goats  required  to 
set  forth  a  feast  of  this  description.  The  figures  were 
enormous,  but  have  slipped  from  memory.  Serving- 
men  with  large  baskets  kept  the  good  things  going, 
and  others  passed  tall  blue  enamelled  drinking-cups 
filled  with  tedj.  In  the  good  old  days  the  drinking- 
cups  were  of  horn,  but  modernism  '  made  in  Germany  ' 
has  obliterated  at  last  this  vestige  of  the  Biblical 
civilization  of  Ethiopia.  So  great  was  the  demand 
for  tedj  that  a  pump  concealed  without  the  aderach 
forced  it  through  a  pipe,  under  the  end  of  which  one 


118  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

cup  replaced  another,  as  soon  as  the  one  preceding 
was  full. 

We  watched  this  interesting  scene  until  almost 
three  o'clock,  when,  with  the  Emperor's  permission, 
all  the  European  and  American  guests  withdrew. 
The  Emperor  himself  remained,  so  we  were  told,  until 
five  o'clock,  in  the  meantime  patiently  and  watchfully 
communicating  with  his  subjects.  It  was  not  hard  to 
see  that,  under  circumstances  like  these,  he  must 
certainly  keep  in  close  touch  with  his  people  in  more 
respects  than  one.  Every  Sunday  morning  at  Addis- 
Ababa,  except  during  fast  seasons,  the  Emperor  gives 
one  of  these  banquets  for  his  subjects,  and  when 
foreigners  whom  he  wishes  to  honour  are  in  the  city 
they  are  invited  to  assist. 

Much  stress  has  been  laid  by  all  returning  travellers 
upon  the  presumed  fact  that  nothing  can  be  accom- 
plished in  Ethiopia  of  an  official  character  without  a 
judicious  distribution  of  presents.  It  would  be  untrue 
to  say  that  small  gifts  of  money  are  not  extremely 
necessary  at  times  in  Addis-Ababa,  as  they  are  in 
other  parts  of  the  world.  To  add  to  the  natural  and 
inherited  covetousness  of  mankind,  Europeans  have 
been  overbidding  each  other  in  Africa  for  so  many 
years  that  unhealthy  expectations  respecting  the 
generosity  of  new  arrivals  have  been  formed,  which 
is  not  surprising.  It  would  be  equally  unjust  to 
charge  this  situation,  which  has  been  immensely 
exaggerated  in  most  available  accounts,  to  the  special 
venahty  of  the  Ethiopian  people.  They  are  not  time 
and  lip  servers  merely  ;  on  the  contrary,  their  cheerful 
^villingness  to  perform  small  services  out  of  innate 
courtesy  was  a  matter  of  daily  occurrence  in  our  own 
experience,  from  the  time  we  left  the  coast  until  we 


SOUVENIRS  FOR  HIS  MAJESTY  119 

returned.  A  capital  is  a  capital,  however,  the  world 
over,  and  Europeans  liave  to  blame  themselves  if  they 
have  gradually  increased  the  difficulties  of  their  own 
situation  as  regards  gratuities  and  gifts. 

To  assume  that  the  Emperor's  favour  can  be  vir- 
tually bought  by  presents,  or  that  he  esteems  the 
giving  of  presents  as  in  the  nature  of  tribute,  is  like- 
wise grossly  unfair  to  him.  The  Abyssinian  tradition 
requires  that  the  stranger  shall  bring  gifts,  as  the  wise 
men  brought  gifts  to  the  Christ  Child  2,000  years 
ago ;  but  the  value  of  the  gift  resides  in  the  inten- 
tion of  the  giver,  a  distinction  which  should  be  con- 
stantly borne  in  mind. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  observe  that  the  American 
Republic  is  not  addicted  to  gift  giving  or  receiving. 
We  therefore  brought  no  elephant  —  the  King  of 
England  had  sent  a  trained  elephant  to  the  Em- 
peror just  before  our  arrival — ^but  we  had  brought 
with  us  a  number  of  souvenirs  for  His  Majesty,  which 
were  presented  informally  a  few  days  after  our  arrival, 
and  which  appeared  to  give  him  much  pleasure.  The 
signed  portrait  of  President  Roosevelt  excited  his 
liveliest  interest.  He  studied  the  face  for  a  number  of 
minutes,  and  then  passed  it  to  a  group  of  generals, 
who  took  equal  interest  in  scrutinizing  it.  The  Presi- 
dent's book  on  '  North  American  Big  Game  '  was  like- 
wise received  with  great  respect.  I  fear  that  His 
Majesty  will  never  be  able  to  read  it.  He  thought  it 
remarkable  that  so  young  a  man  had  accomplished 
so  much. 

When  these  objects  had  been  laid  aside,  a  beautiful 
American  writing-machine,  which  the  manufacturers 
had  asked  to  have  offered,  was  brought  into  the 
imperial  presence,  and  regarded  with  polite  interest. 


laO  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

The  practical  mind  of  the  Emperor  developed  the 
question  immediately : 

*  Why  can't  we  have  an  Amharic  typewriter  ?' 

M.  Chefneux  replied  that,  whereas  we  had  only 
26  letters  in  our  alphabet,  it  would  require  251  char- 
acters to  represent  the  Amharic  language,  and  the 
construction  of  a  machine  containing  so  many  figures 
presented  practical  difficulties. 

The  typewriter  was  carried  away,  and  a  magazine 
rifle  of  the  latest  model,  a  most  beautiful  arm,  with 
burnished  barrel  and  gold-plated  mountings,  bearing 
a  special  inscription,  was  presented.  Now  the  im- 
perial eyes  brightened  with  evident  pleasure.  Mr. 
Wales,  who  had  a  similar  rifle,  illustrated  the  method 
of  loading  and  firing,  whereupon  the  Emperor 
followed  his  movements,  and  with  the  instant  apprecia- 
tion of  the  connoisseur,  nodded  approvingly.  Interest 
in  the  new  American  gim  was  so  intense  that  Mr.  Wales 
was  required  to  fire  through  an  open  doorway  at  a 
blank  wall.  The  ten  shots  rang  out  with  startling 
rapidity.  Generals,  judges,  colonels,  and  understrappers 
crowded  about  the  doorway.  The  consequences  were 
so  satisfactory  that  His  Majesty  determined  to  try  his 
own  rifle  himself,  and,  very  slightly  concerned  for  his 
generals  and  judges,  raised  the  weapon  to  the  proper 
angle,  without  changing  his  posture  upon  the  throne, 
and  aimed  through  the  same  open  doorway.  There 
was  immediately  a  wild  stampede  for  cover  on  the 
part  of  the  satellites  while  the  imperial  hand  pulled 
the  trigger.  The  Emperor's  eyes  showed  that  he 
appreciated  the  humour  of  the  situation. 

A  few  days  later,  while  visiting  our  encampment,  a 
much  more  amusing  incident  of  the  same  sort  occurred. 
A  private  had  been  showing  off  the  regulation  army 


THE  EMPEESS  TAITU  121 

^un,  and  the  Emperor  expressed  a  desire  to  handle  one 
himself.  Again  he  fired  through  an  open  doorway, 
and  as  the  cartridges  were  blank,  no  possible  harm 
could  have  resulted,  though  the  panic  was  no  less 
great  than  before.  Blank  cartridges  are  practically 
imknown  in  Ethiopia,  and  when  Menelik  had  ascer- 
tained that  we  used  them  for  saluting  purposes,  he 
intimated  a  wish  to  receive  a  few. 

'  I  am  going  to  my  country  place  at  Addis  Alem 
next  week,'  he  said,  '  and  I  shall  be  accompanied  by 
many  officers.  I  expect  to  amuse  myself  with  these 
cartridges.  I  shall  be  able  to  teach  some  of  my 
officers  to  show  courage  under  fire.'  All  the  Em- 
peror's friends  bear  testimony  to  his  general  good- 
humour  and  love  of  joking. 

The  audience  at  which  our  few  gifts  were  offered 
terminated  with  the  presentation  of  a  well-selected  lot 
of  American  garden  seeds,  which  was  the  most  modest 
and  yet  the  most  highly-valued  gift  of  all.  These 
seeds  had  been  sent  to  me  by  some  of  the  officers  of 
the  Department  of  Agriculture.  I  was  told  afterwards 
that  they  had  been  distributed  by  the  Emperor  him- 
self, with  great  care,  among  his  own  farmers,  and  that 
he  was  intensely  interested  in  the  results.  He  regards 
agriculture  as  the  basis  of  all  true  wealth,  and  his 
great  ambition  is  to  develop  a  love  of  farming  among 
his  people. 

We  did  not  meet  the  Empress.  Nothing  in  the  way 
of  public  ceremonial  occurred  during  our  stay  in  which 
her  presence  was  involved,  and  we  departed  too  soon 
to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her  in  private.  She  is 
said  to  be  a  woman  of  great  force  of  character,  and,  in 
her  youth,  one  of  striking  beauty.     She  is  now  forty- 


122  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

seven  years  of  age.  The  Empress  Taitu  is  the  daughter 
of  a  former  Ras  of  Gondar,  and  one  of  the  hereditary 
Princesses  of  the  now  absorbed  kingdom  of  Siemen, 
the  inhabitants  of  which  are  reputed  for  their  white 
skins.  She  has  been  several  times  married,  and 
became  the  wife  of  the  present  Emperor  in  1883. 
They  have  no  children.  This  fact  raises  the  question 
of  the  succession  in  the  mind  of  everyone  visiting  the 
empire.  It  is  fully  believed  by  those  who  have  interests 
in  the  country  that  when,  in  the  course  of  Nature,  the 
shrewd  and  great  Emperor  Menelik  shall  have  been 
gathered  to  his  fathers,  it  will  be  found  that  he  had 
made  provision  for  an  orderly  transfer  of  power  to 
other  hands. 

Fortunately  for  Ethiopia  and  the  peace  of  the  world, 
the  Emperor  bids  fair  to  resist  for  many  a  year  the 
ravages  of  time.  His  vigorous  manhood  is  attributed 
to  a  knowledge  of  *  the  science  of  proper  living,  the 
benefits  of  temperance  in  all  things,  and  the  healthful 
influence  of  a  balanced  mind,  from  which  all  worries 
are  expelled  and  few  gain  entrance.' 

The  Emperor  returned  our  visit  to  the  palace  in 
state  one  fine  morning,  accompanied  by  the  huge 
escort  which  foUows  and  precedes  him  everywhere. 
We  put  on  purple  and  fine  linen  in  honour  of  this 
event.  The  officers  of  the  escort  effected  wonders  as 
decorative  artists  with  our  small  stock  of  flags,  which 
we  draped  about  the  portrait  of  the  President  in  the 
reception  tent.  The  entire  escort  awaited  the  arrival 
of  royalty  outside  the  compound,  giving  the  Emperor 
a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  as  he  entered.  His 
Majesty  was  all  amiability  and  smiles,  and  the  American 
Idea  was  illustrated  for  his  benefit  to  the  extent  of  our 


THE  EMPBROE  RETURNS  OUR  CALL  123 

resources.  He  walked  slowly  around  the  enclosure, 
criticising  with  a  soldier's  quick  eye  the  sailors'  canvas 
hammocks,  the  haversacks  and  their  contents,  and 
particularly  the  hospital  tent,  with  its  compact  case  of 
medicines  and  simple  instruments.  He  said  that  he 
thought  it  all  very  nice  and  comfortable,  but  not  quite 
so  easy  of  transportation  as  the  Ethiopian  equipment. 
In  this  he  was  perfectly  right,  since  the  Ethiopian 
equipment  consists  of  a  small  and  very  light  wall  tent 
with  bamboo  poles,  and  a  gun. 

The  promenade  over,  the  escort,  under  Captain 
Thorpe,  performed  a  great  variety  of  gymnastic  exer- 
cises, which  the  Emperor  had  never  before  witnessed, 
and  which  he  applauded  vigorously.  These  exercises 
concluded.  His  Majesty,  with  twenty  or  more  chieftains 
who  accompanied  him,  consented  to  enter  the  palace 
of  the  Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis,  where  refreshments  were 
served.  It  became  necessary  for  the  Emperor  to  again 
suspend  the  fasting  period  prescribed  by  the  Church, 
in  order  to  permit  of  a  general  exchange  of  toasts.  It 
was  during  these  gaieties  that  Menelik  was  instructed 
in  the  mechanism  of  our  regulation  rifle,  as  previously 
described. 

We  were  told  afterwards  that  the  Emperor  had 
made  an  exceptionally  long  visit,  and  I  trust  that 
it  was  so.  He  was  a  most  agreeable  and  appreciative 
guest.  He  came  just  after  the  treaty  had  been  vir- 
tually agreed  upon,  and  he  seemed  to  feel  quite  as 
contented  as  we  ourselves  with  the  commercial  alliance 
just  contracted.  When  farewells  had  been  exchanged, 
he  crossed  our  first  courtyard  on  foot,  mounted  his 
brilliantly-caparisoned  mule,  and  rode  away,  followed 
by  the  friendly  regards  of  all  whom  he  left  behind. 


CHAPTER  Xin 

The  market — Jewellery — Abyssinian  art  and  architecture — The 
national  costume — A  Haitian  at  the  Court  of  Menelik — 
Ethnology. 

Although  the  remaining  days  of  our  stay  in  Addis- 
Ababa  were  exceedingly  busy  ones,  they  were  by  no 
means  uneventful.  The  great  distraction  of  the  occa- 
sional idle  hour  was  to  visit  the  market.  It  was 
richer  in  local  colour  than  in  merchandise  dear  to  the 
collector's  heart.  As  usual  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
prices  rose  rapidly  with  the  approach  of  any  American. 
The  market  itself  was  merely  an  open  place,  the 
vendors  displaying  their  wares  either  upon  the  ground 
or  in  the  rows  of  tumble-down  booths.  The  horse 
market  was  by  far  the  most  interesting  feature  of  this 
daily  fair.  Asses,  mules,  and  horses  by  the  hundred 
occupied  the  space  assigned  to  them,  and  were  brought 
forth  and  put  through  their  paces  upon  a  large  level 
area  close  by.  We  never  visited  the  market  without 
seeing  a  number  of  horses  being  madly  galloped 
about  this  exhibition  track,  mounted  by  white-robed 
riders,  who  furnished  a  spectacle  far  more  real  and 
picturesque  than  the  Roman  races  at  the  circus. 

Dr.  Pease  was  the  most  assiduous  student  of  the 
market,  and  used  to  astonish  us  by  the  variety  of  his 
acquisitions.  When  he  left  the  capital  he  had  a 
bundle   of  probably   twenty   spears,   brass   hand-cut 

124 


THE  MARKET  125 

Greek  crosses  much  used  in  Churcli  ceremonials, 
brass  and  ivory  bracelets,  silver  rings,  leopard,  lion, 
and  zebra  skins,  and  any  quantity  of  minor  objects. 
We  all  became  inoculated  with  the  collector's  microbe, 
and  as  the  days  sped  by,  small  merchants  learned  to 
besiege  our  camp  with  every  manner  of  trinket,  from 
boa  -  constrictor  skins  to  ostrich  feathers  and  live 
monkeys.  Under  the  head  of  live-stock,  our  soldiers 
acquired  a  smaU  wild  cat,  a  young  baboon,  and  a 
number  of  monkeys,  all  of  which  either  died,  escaped, 
or  were  released  before  we  reached  the  coast.  The 
best  things  available  for  purchase  were  leopard  skins. 
These  were  obtainable  at  from  two  dollars  gold  up — 
generally  up.  As  these  skins  are  used  by  the 
Abyssinians  for  mantles,  they  are  usually  cut  along 
the  side  instead  of  down  the  middle  of  the  stomach. 
In  this  form  they  are  more  readily  arranged  as  mantles, 
but  are  decidedly  less  valuable  for  subsequent  prepara- 
tion with  stuffed  heads  as  rugs. 

We  all  purchased  rather  curious  rings  of  pure  native 
gold.  The  gold  itself  is  secured  from  placer  mines  in 
the  Wallago  country,  and  in  the  form  of  dust  is  placed 
by  the  miners  in  quills.  Itinerant  merchants  secure 
these  quiUs,  work  the  metal  into  malleable  rings,  and 
forward  the  rings  to  the  larger  buying  markets.  It 
may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  the  price  of  gold  is 
not  appreciably  less  in  Abyssinia  than  elsewhere. 
There  are  no  embroideries,  carpets,  or  other  articles 
of  artistic  production  in  the  Ethiopian  markets,  unless 
exception  be  made  of  the  fine  hand -woven  cotton 
cloths  with  wide  red  borders  worn  as  chammas.  Two 
of  these  cost  me  six  dollars  gold.  Native  baskets  may 
be  purchased  in  infinite  variety,  and  are  usually  well 
made  and  attractive.     They  are  used  by  the  natives 


126  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

to  carry  butter  and  milk,  and  are  consequently  very 
ingeniously  woven. 

Every  Abyssinian  woman  loves  jewellery,  and  wears 
it.  Singular  wooden  or  bone  hairpins,  bead  neck- 
laces, bracelets  and  anklets  of  silver,  brass,  copper, 
and  ivory  are  worn,  but  are  difficult  to  find  in  the 
open  market.  The  best  type  of  jewellery  consists 
of  crosses,  armguards,  and  ornaments  of  silver  fili- 
gree work.  It  is  all  made  of  thin  plates  of  metal  over 
which  the  wire  is  soldered.  The  filigree  is  subdivided 
by  narrow  borders  of  silver  pattern,  and  the  inter- 
vening spaces  are  made  up  of  many  patterns,  the 
most  of  which  contain  grains  set  at  regular  intervals. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  antique  forms  of  jewellery  in 
the  world.  It  is  probable  that  these  same  fihgree 
patterns  have  been  worked  from  the  most  remote 
times  without  any  change  in  design.  The  decorations 
of  the  Order  of  Ethiopia,  which  the  Emperor  some- 
times confers,  are  of  this  characteristic  form,  the  silver 
being  gilded. 

The  orthodox  Ethiopian  wears  a  string  around  his 
neck,  to  which  is  attached  a  scroll  containing  an 
extract  from  the  Evangelists,  a  silver  ring  and  ear- 
pick,  and  a  smaU  cross.  Some  of  the  latter  are  very 
artistic  in  form.  It  is  occasionally  possible  to  pick  up 
horn  drinking-cups  of  interesting  workmanship,  but 
the  Belgian  or  German  cup  of  enamelled  iron  is 
driving  out  the  old-fashioned  cup  of  domestic  make. 

All  that  I  have  said,  or  shall  say,  of  art  in  Abyssinia 
holds  good  as  regards  architecture.  The  contrast 
between  the  punctiliousness  of  the  Abyssinian  manner 
and  the  primitive  simplicity  of  the  Abyssinian  home 
has  not  hitherto  been  construed  in  favour  of  the  race. 
They  are  generally  thought  to  be  deficient  in  con- 


\    p. 


ABYSSINIAN  ABT  AND  AECHITECTURE  127 

stmctive  power.  While  this  is  true,  in  order  to 
find  the  reason  we  must  go  back  farther  than  to  the 
presumed  indifference  or  incapacity  to  evolve  an 
architectural  ideal.  There  can  be  no  fundamental 
cause  for  such  backwardness  on  the  part  of  a  nation 
with  a  history  and  literature,  except  as  it  may  be 
found  in  fundamental  law.  Such  a  law  exists  in 
Abyssinia,  and  by  its  operation  during  centuries  it 
has  necessarily  retarded  development  of  the  art  of 
building,  since  it  prescribes  in  terms :  *  As  to  the 
habitation,  it  shall  be  limited  to  that  which  is  purely 
necessaiy.  .  .  .  Our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  ordered  our 
fashion  of  living  to  be  based  upon  His  example  .  .  . 
it  is  told  that  He  had  no  habitation,  and  no  place 
whereupon  to  lay  His  head.' 

While  these  prescriptions  have  been  accepted 
literally  as  regards  private  dwellings — the  Abyssinian 
home  contains  neither  chairs  nor  beds,  and  is  itself 
a  mere  temporary  construction  of  slats  and  mud — 
earthly  tabernacles  have  nevertheless  been  erected  to 
the  glory  of  God  at  Axum,  Gondar,  and  Lalibella, 
which  are  fairly  comparable  to  the  temples  in  Egypt, 
Greece,  and  Rome.  It  is  presumed  that  the  artisans 
who  created  these  monuments  were  brought  over  from 
the  eastern  coast  of  the  Red  Sea. 

The  monuments  of  Axum  are  of  remote  antiquity. 
They  consist  of  obehsks,  of  which  but  one  is  standing, 
of  vast  subterranean  excavations  and  of  enormous 
blocks  of  stone  cut  in  the  form  of  seats,  and  which, 
placed  in  a  circle,  probably  were  intended  for  an 
Areopagus.  There  are,  moreover,  two  inscriptions, 
one  Greek  and  the  other  Himarite,  and  the  ruins  of 
an  ancient  temple,  where  the  Kings  of  Ethiopia  were 
crovnied.     The  present  church  of  Aximi  stands  upon 


128  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

the  site  of  the  ruined  structure,  which  occupied  a 
square  63  metres  long. 

At  Gondar  there  exist  still  vestiges  of  the  immense 
Gothic  palace  constructed  by  the  Portuguese,  and  of 
a  stone  bridge  over  the  Blue  Nile.  My  interpreter, 
who  had  been  there,  never  wearied  of  talking  of 
Gondar,  as  an  Italian  might  speak  of  Rome. 

At  Ijalibella,  the  holy  city  of  the  Abyssinian  clergy, 
there  are  ten  monolithic  churches  carved  out  of  the 
solid  rock,  of  which  Gabriel  Simon  brought  back  an 
interesting  description  in  1885.  These  churches, 
presimied  to  be  of  the  fifth  century,  tmite  features  of 
Byzantine,  Greek,  and  Arab  architecture. 

The  details  of  the  Abyssinian  costume  are  of  little 
interest.  The  chamma  is  its  essential  feature.  Properly 
suspended,  it  gives  shade  in  the  desert,  it  becomes  a 
bed-covering  at  night,  and  it  lends  itself  equally  well 
to  the  requirements  of  the  shepherd,  the  warrior,  or 
the  city  coquette.  It  relieves  ugliness  of  its  crudity, 
it  heightens  majesty  and  beauty,  and  it  is  a  graceful 
and  becoming  garment  whenever  and  by  whomsoever 
worn. 

Until  recently  only  the  clergy  wore  any  head-dress, 
consisting  in  their  case  of  an  enormous  turban  of 
white  cloth.  Nowadays  both  men  and  women  are 
becoming  fond  of  European-made,  broad-brimmed 
felt  hats. 

Children  go  about  naked  as  when  they  entered  the 
world  during  the  first  few  years  of  their  lives,  after 
which  their  costume  is  scarcely  less  summary.  When 
the  boys  enter  manhood  the  national  costume  is  put 
on,  consisting  of  cotton  trousers,  very  generous  about 
the  seat  and  tight  around  the  ankles.  These  trousers 
extend  just  below  the  calves,  and  they  are   secured 


ABYSSINIAN  DRESS  129 

witli  a  long  cotton  belt,  twisted,  and  serving  many 
purposes.  Originally  tlie  girdle  was  intended  to 
protect  the  waist  during  combat.  A  shirt  usually 
accompanies  the  trousers.  Over  these  garments  is 
thrown  in  classic  folds  the  red-bordered  chamma. 
Among  the  poorer  classes  this  toga  is  made  of  cheap 
American  cloth.  With  relative  opulence  comes  the 
hand-woven  chamma  with  a  narrow  red  border,  the 
width  of  this  border  indicating  to  some  extent  the 
status  of  the  wearer.  In  exceptional  cases  the  red 
border  is  replaced  by  silk  embroidery.  This  costume 
is  common  to  both  man  and  woman,  the  latter  draping 
their  chammas  in  a  manner  so  mmaistakably  feminine 
as  to  prevent  any  possible  errors  of  identity.  The 
women  also  wear  a  long  robe  rather  than  a  shirt. 
The  soldier  wears  a  chamma  negligently  thrown 
over  the  left  shoulder,  the  right  shoulder  and  arm 
being  free  for  conflict.  Sandals  are  sometimes  worn, 
shoes  never,  except  in  the  case  of  a  few  of  the  very 
highest  dignitaries,  hke  the  Emperor  himself  and 
the  Ras  Makonnen.  Some  distinguished  generals 
wear  stockings. 

The  chiefs  distinguished  by  the  Emperor  modify 
their  national  costume  by  wearing  a  silk  or  satin 
shirt  decorated  with  silver  or  gold.  Finally,  the 
supremely  desired  article  of  clothing  is  the  lebd^, 
or  pelerine,  offered  only  by  the  Emperor  as  a  reward 
for  striking  conduct.  This  pelerine  is  made  of  hon 
or  black  leopard  skin,  ornamented  with  silver  thread. 
The  skin  is  so  cut  that  the  forelegs  and  tail  dance  in 
the  wind,  contributing  in  large  degree  to  the  savage 
picturesqueness  of  the  costume,  which  accords  well 
with  the  rugged  splendour  of  the  mountains. 

Both  sexes  have  the  unpleasant  habit  of  greasing 

9 


130  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

their  heads  with  butter.  This  is  said  to  enable  the 
brain  to  withstand  the  darts  of  the  sun  more  readily, 
causing  the  scalp  eventually  to  become  exceedingly 
hard  and  resistant. 

Native  pictorial  art  appears  not  to  have  progressed 
beyond  a  very  primitive  stage.  Most  of  the  churches 
contain  pictures  of  religious  subjects,  but  they  are 
only  curious.  They  always  represent  the  wicked  in 
profile  and  the  righteous  in  full  face.  Another  singu- 
larity of  Ethiopian  pictorial  art  is  that  the  good  are 
always  depicted  as  white  men  and  the  bad  as  black 
men.  While  the  tint  of  the  pure  Ethiopian  varies 
between  light  olive-green  and  intense  black,  he  does 
not  regard  himself  as  a  negro,  and,  for  that  matter, 
possesses  none  of  the  striking  negroid  characteristics 
save  that  of  colour.  In  thickness  of  skull,  facial 
formation,  shape  of  the  foot,  and  notably  of  the  heel, 
the  Ethiopian  is  quite  unlike  the  negro.  Seven 
distinct  shades  are  recognised  by  students  of  the 
Abyssinian  complexion,  and  personal  vanity  is  most 
highly  flattered  by  possession  of  the  lighter  tints  of 
the  skin. 

I  must  relate  in  this  connection  an  incident  several 
times  recalled  to  us  in  the  country  in  regard  to  Mr. 
Benito  Sylvain.  Mr.  Sylvain  is  a  highly-educated 
young  Haitian  of  wealthy  parentage — a  full-blooded 
negro,  as  a  matter  of  course.  Mr.  Sylvain  conceived 
the  happy  idea  some  years  ago  of  seeking  the  Emperor 
Menelik,  in  order  to  secure  His  Majesty's  adhesion 
to  a  programme  for  the  general  amelioration  of  the 
negro  race.  To  Mr.  Benito  Sylvain  it  seemed  espe- 
cially appropriate  that  the  greatest  black  man  in  the 
world  should  become  the  honorary  president  of  his 
projected  society.      The   Emperor  is  said   to    have 


I'/ioioctaf/!  hy  M.  Hittolinx. 


An  f^Tnioi'iAN  Gentleman. 


A  HAITIAN  AT  THE  COUET  OF  MENELIK       131 

listened  with  great  patience  to  tlie  exposition  of  this 
idea,  and  then,  Avith  that  fine,  dry  humour  character- 
istic of  him,  he  replied  : 

'  Yours  is  a  most  excellent  idea,  my  young  friend. 
The  negro  should  be  uplifted.  I  applaud  your  theory, 
and  I  wish  you  the  greatest  possible  success.  But  in 
coming  to  me  to  take  the  leadership,  you  are  knocking 
at  the  wrong  door,  so  to  speak.  You  know,  I  am  not 
a  negro  at  all :  I  am  a  Caucasian.' 

This  reply  might  have  disconcerted  some  men,  but 
not  Mr.  Benito  Sylvain,  for  we  encountered  him  in 
person  at  Laga-Arba,  on  his  way  to  the  capital,  while 
we  were  going  in  the  opposite  direction.  We  had 
settled  ourselves  comfortably  that  fine  afternoon, 
clothed  in  whatever  had  come  handiest,  and  not 
supposing  any  neighbours  to  be  within  less  than  a 
week's  journey  of  us,  when  off  in  the  distance  a  white 
tent  was  seen  to  take  sudden  and  definite  form.  A 
moment  later  a  foreign  flag  appeared  above  this  tent. 
Five  minutes  thereafter  a  card  was  presented  to  me, 
bearing  the  name  of  '  Commandant  Benito  Sylvain, 
Envoy  of  His  Excellency  the  President  of  the  Republic 
of  Haiti  to  His  Imperial  Majesty  the  Emperor  of 
Ethiopia.'  This  was  interesting.  Within  a  few 
moments  Commandant  Benito  Sylvain  arrived  in 
person,  in  full  uniform,  varnished  Wellington  boots, 
spurs,  white  breeches,  sword,  and  the  Order  of  the 
Cross  of  Solomon  upon  his  breast.  Mr.  Sylvain  said 
that  he  was  going  to  Addis-Ababa  to  present  a  letter 
from  his  Government  to  the  Emperor.  He  intimated 
that  he  might  remain  there,  to  estabhsh  a  permanent 
Legation.  He  was  a  most  polite  young  man,  speaking 
French  that  was  a  pleasure  to  hear,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  whatever    that    he    is   persona  grata    at    the 

9—2 


132  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

capital  quite  as  much  as  he  was  in  tlie  American 
camp. 

The  real  Ethiopians,  as  the  Emperor  himself  fully 
understands,  are  a  mixed  race,  in  the  formation  of 
which  several  distinct  nations  have  contributed.  The 
primitive  stock  is  of  Ethiopic  origin,  but,  as  the 
language  clearly  shows,  it  was  at  an  early  period 
mixed  with  the  tribe  of  Himyarites  from  the  opposite 
coast  of  Arabia,  who  in  their  turn  were  ethnologically 
more  or  less  closely  connected  with  the  Hebrews  rather 
than  with  the  Joctanides,  or  the  Arabians,  properly 
speaking.  The  Ethiopians  are  a  fine,  strong  race, 
more  usually  of  a  copper  hue  than  not,  and  are 
altogether  different  from  the  negroes,  with  whom, 
however,  they  have  frequently  been  confounded,  but 
only  because  they  were  called  a  black  people.  The 
nose  of  the  pure  tjrpe  is  nearly  straight,  the  eye 
beautifully  clear,  yet  languishing,  and  the  hair  is  black 
and  crisp,  without  being  woolly.  Left  to  itself,  the 
hair  of  the  Abyssinian  would  become  long,  coarse,  and 
undulating.  Children  of  both  sexes  have  their  heads 
shaved,  retaining  only  a  lock,  somewhat  as  the  China- 
man retains  his  queue.  It  is  now  the  mode  for  men 
to  wear  their  hair  shortly  clipped  through  life.  The 
women  frequently  do  the  same,  although  more  usually 
they  divide  their  hair  into  tresses,  which  follow  in  line 
from  the  front  of  the  head  to  the  back,  where  they  are 
gathered  into  a  knot.  A  young  girl's  hair  is  often 
completely  cropped  except  for  a  fringe  around  the 
brow.  With  each  added  year  another  row  of  hair  is 
permitted  to  grow,  until  finally  there  is  no  clipped 
surface,  but  a  succession  of  carefully  trimmed  bands 
of  hair  of  graduated  length. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Manners  and  customs  of  the  desert  races. 

The  ethnological  observations  of  the  preceding  chapter 
apply  to  the  inhabitants  of  Choa,  Tigre,  Godjam,  and 
the  territory  of  the  one-time  kingdom  of  Amhara.  In 
these  unified  kingdoms  the  ruling  Ethiopic  race  is 
found  in  its  best  estate.  By  conquest,  annexation, 
and  imperceptibly  growing  influence,  it  has  now 
extended  its  sway  over  the  Adals,  Danakils,  Somali- 
Issas,  and  Gallas.  These  tribes  are  ruled  by  the 
Ethiopians  with  wise  forbearance,  but  with  recognised 
authority.  Collectively,  these  nomadic  tribes  constitute 
a  savage  aristocracy.  .  The  unclad  African  of  the  desert 
requires  no  book  or  heraldic  device  to  enable  him  to 
remember  his  family  history  for  500  years.  Not  only 
does  he  think  himself  the  salt  of  the  desert,  but  he 
knows  it. 

M.  Pierre  Carette,  who  has  spent  ten  years  among 
these  people,  is  without  doubt  the  best  equipped  man 
in  the  world  to  discuss  their  past,  and  he  has  carefully 
pieced  it  out,  by  patiently  listening  to  the  accounts 
given  to  him  by  his  uncivilized  friends.  The  influence 
acquired  by  M.  Carette  over  these  people  is  a  striking 
fact  in  recent  African  history.  A  man  of  the  world, 
a  Parisian  by  birth,  endowed  with  unusual  intelligence 
and  business  capacity,  he  likewise  exists  as  a  sort  of 

188 


134  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

imcrowned  king  of  the  desert.  Around  the  head- 
quarters of  the  railroad  at  Dire-Daouah  may  be  seen, 
any  day  in  the  week,  several  hundred  Issas,  Danakils, 
and  Gourgouras,  who  may  have  travelled  for  days 
across  the  burning  sand,  in  order  to  consult  with 
M.  Carette  upon  the  value  of  a  camel  or  the  wisdom 
of  a  deal  in  goats,  M.  Carette  listens  with  great 
patience,  gives  out  sound  advice,  and  finds  his  reward 
in  the  interesting  social  study  which  he  is  enabled  to 
carry  on.  For  all  of  my  information  in  regard  to  these 
people  I  am  indebted  to  M.  Carette. 

The  savage  of  the  desert  says  of  his  country  :  '  It  is 
clean.'  To  him  our  cities  are  prisons,  and  our  good 
cheer  an  invention  of  the  devil  to  stiffen  his  limbs  and 
fatten  his  body.  He  prefers  as  a  roof  either  the  blue 
sky,  or  his  hut  made  of  four  sticks  and  some  brush ; 
or,  if  he  be  a  camel-driver,  the  shelter  made  by  throw- 
ing the  vegetable  fibre  mats  upon  which  the  *  charge  ' 
is  laid  over  the  boxes  constituting  the  load  itself. 
His  supreme  joy  is  to  kill  his  fellow-man,  and  having 
done  so,  he  parades  the  fact  to  the  world  by  wearing 
an  ostrich  feather  in  his  hair.  Pushed  by  necessity, 
he  sometimes  visits  the  miserable  native  villages  ;  but 
if  once  installed  therein,  he  returns  with  difficulty  to 
his  desert.  Ordinarily  he  is  unsociable.  His  life  is 
all  on  the  desert,  where  he  feels  at  home  with  his 
cattle,  which  supply  him  with  food  and  clothing.  His 
aliment  consists  of  milk,  a  little  meat,  and  such  grain 
as  he  buys  at  the  villages.  His  occupation  consists 
in  herding  his  cattle.  He  migrates  as  drought  or 
exhaustion  of  forage  or  water  may  require.  He  is 
always  intensely  proud.  M.  Vigneras,  Secretary  of 
the  French  mission  under  Minister  Lagarde  which 
went  up   to   Addis-Ababa   a   nimiber   of  years   ago, 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  DESERT  RACES  135 

recounts  an  incident  of  caravan  life,  showing  tlie 
character  of  the  native.  One  of  his  domestics,  seeing 
a  girl  a  d@zen  years  of  age  pass  by,  said  to  her : 

*  Nabat,  nabat !'  (Good-day,  good-day  !) 

The  girl  made  no  reply.  The  domestic,  of  light- 
hearted  disposition,  continued : 

'  Very  well ;  since  thou  art  thus  disdainful,  the  chief 
of  Djibouti,  who  is  here,  will  put  thee  in  prison.' 

*  Thou  may  est  say  to  thy  chief,'  then  said  the  girl, 
*  that  we  are  here  in  the  brush,  and  that  I  laugh  at  his 
prison,'  and  she  continued  on  her  way. 

The  be]t  of  desert  coast  land  extends  up  to  the 
base  of  the  mountains,  and  is  divided  among  three 
grand  races — the  Danakils,  the  SomaH-Issas,  and  the 
Gallas.  The  Danakils  belong  to  the  great  family  of 
the  Afas  or  Adals,  and  occupy  in  general  the  territory 
between  the  kingdoms  of  Choa  and  the  province  of 
Harrar.  Their  lands  border  upon  those  of  the  Somali- 
Issas,  a  fraction  of  the  great  Somali  race,  with  whom 
they  are  constantly  at  war.  The  Gallas  are  generally 
found  to  the  south  of  the  Somalis.  These  three  tribes 
are  all  Musulmans,  although  frequently  lukewarm  in 
their  devotion  to  their  principles. 

The  Danakils  are  exceedingly  black.  They  have 
slightly  receding  foreheads,  a  lively  but  treacherous 
eye,  long  profiles,  regular  features,  and  extremely  thin 
faces.  Their  heads  are  covered  with  curly  but  not 
woolly  hair ;  they  are,  furthermore,  covered  with  grease. 
They  take  great  care  of  their  hair,  and  usually  wear  a 
comb  with  which  they  keep  it  in  order,  shaving  also 
the  back  of  the  head  to  the  level  of  the  ears.  Their 
clothing  consists  of  a  piece  of  cloth  around  the  middle 
and  a  short  toga,  which  is  worn  over  the  left  shoulder, 
the  right  being  bared.     In  the  interior  of  the  country 


186  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

the  cloths  are  replaced  by  sheep-skins.  The  women 
are  beasts  of  burden.  They  wear  much  the  same 
garments  as  the  men,  with  ornaments  of  glass  beads, 
and  copper  rings  about  the  arms  and  ankles.  The 
desert  tribes  in  general  are  armed  with  lances  and 
long  double-edged  knives,  worn  in  front  of  the 
stomach,  and  a  buckler  of  hippopotamus  skin.  Per- 
mission to  carry  firearms  is  refused  by  the  Emperor, 
although  many  are  said  to  possess  rifles  hidden  away 
in  their  villages. 

The  Somalis  are  finer  in  form  and  feature  than  the 
Danakils.  Their  skin  is  midway  between  black  and 
a  rich  creamy  colour.  Their  hair  is  finer — a  conse- 
quence of  their  habit  of  covering  it  with  lime,  in  order 
to  tint  it  red.  The  Somali  woman  is  more  coquettish 
than  the  Danakil,  and  wears  more  complicated  cloth- 
ing. According  to  legend,  the  territory  now  occupied 
by  the  Somalis  was  formerly  occupied  by  the  Gallas. 
The  Somalis  believe  themselves  that  they  migiated 
from  somewhere  back  of  Aden.  They  have  no  written 
language,  but  they  have  family  traditions  which  are 
handed  down  from  father  to  son.  They  have  a  senti- 
ment of  honour — respect  the  aged  and  the  insane,  and 
scorn  the  foreigner.  Their  graves  are  indicated  by  a 
border  of  stone,  in  the  centre  of  which  the  passer-by 
is  expected  to  cast  another  stone,  at  the  same  time 
reciting  a  prayer.  Though  incorrigible  bandits,  the 
Somalis  take  toll  only  from  foreigners  and  neighbour- 
ing tribes.  Thus  their  sins  are  meritorious  in  their 
own  eyes.  Should  they  attack  one  of  the  members  of 
their  own  tribe,  or  take  his  property,  they  would  be 
severely  pimished.  Theft  entrains  amputation  of  the 
hands. 

When  a  Somali  boy  is  born,  if  the  family  is  united, 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  DESERT  RACES  137 

as  many  sheep  are  killed  as  the  family  fortunes  peimit, 
and  dancing  becomes  the  order  of  the  day.  The  dance 
is  always  of  the  same  sort — a  monotonous  stamping 
without  metre,  for  the  Somalis  have  no  musical  instru- 
ments. There  is  much  clapping  of  the  hands 
and  pounding  of  the  earth  with  lances.  We  were 
favoured  with  several  of  these  dances  while  on  the 
desert,  each  of  which  was  followed  by  attempts  upon 
the  privy  purse.  Upon  one  occasion,  when  the  dance 
had  been  undertaken  for  my  benefit,  accompanied  by 
an  interminable  hymn  in  my  praise,  I  separated  the 
chief  from  the  band,  and  gave  him  a  nmnber  of 
exceedingly  stiff-printed  muslin  flags  of  red  and 
yellow,  the  colours  of  the  St.  Louis  Exposition.  The 
chief  insinuated  that  money  would  be  more  appre- 
ciated than  flags,  whereupon  a  thaler  was  discreetly 
stuffed  into  his  hand  for  his  own  use  and  benefit,  with 
the  comment  that  the  flags  were  representative  of  a 
very  great  enterprise,  and  therefore  to  be  more  prized 
than  silver  or  gold.  With  the  thaler  in  his  own  hand 
the  chief  appreciated  the  point,  and  made  an  eloquent 
explanation  to  his  followers,  who  sat  upon  their 
haunches  and  hstened  with  evident  dissatisfaction,  but 
finally  took  a  flag  each.  Nothing  could  have  been 
more  ridiculous  than  those  dignified,  amiable  savages 
each  carrying  a  gaudy  flag.  Some  held  them  out  at 
arm's  length,  others  tied  them  to  their  person,  and  all 
of  them  looked  so  distressed  and  embarrassed  by  these 
strange  offerings  that,  as  the  donor,  I  began  to  feel 
that  my  action  had  been  very  reprehensible. 

When  a  Somali  man  attains  forty  years,  the  family 
kiU  a  sheep  and  a  goat,  or  an  ox,  to  celebrate  the  fact 
that  thenceforth  he  is  a  man  completely  formed.  The 
Somalis  intermarry  a  great  deal,  but  find  their  wives 


138  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

in  another  branch  of  the  family  than  their  own.  When 
the  choice  is  made,  the  parents  of  the  young  man  seek 
the  girl's  father,  and  give  him  a  breech  cloth,  a  sheep, 
and  a  package  of  tobacco.  The  two  are  now  betrothed, 
and  no  third  person  can  seek  the  hand  of  the  girl. 
The  next  step  is  to  arrange  the  marriage  contract. 
In  the  western  provinces  the  bride's  parents  receive 
from  the  groom  twelve  female  camels,  in  the  east 
twenty  female  camels.  Two  cows,  twelve  ewes,  or 
twenty-four  goats,  are  equal  to  one  female  camel.  The 
price  having  been  paid,  the  parents  of  the  young  man 
say  to  the  father  of  the  girl :  '  Behold,  the  moment  of 
the  marriage  is  come.' 

The  affair  being  agreed  upon,  the  husband  is  told 
that  his  bride  will  come  to  his  house  on  a  given  even- 
ing. On  the  date  fixed  the  groom  and  several  of  his 
friends  approach  the  bride's  house.  The  groom  cuts 
a  branch  and  plants  it  upon  a  selected  spot,  and  then 
and  there  his  house  is  built  around  it.  The  best  of 
these  dwellings  is  but  a  poor  excuse  of  a  hut.  At 
simset  the  bride  is  led  by  a  cortege  of  women  to  her 
husband's  new  house.  The  groom  then  arrives,  accom- 
panied by  his  friends.  At  the  door  of  the  house 
stands  a  live  sheep.  The  newly-married  couple  enter 
alone,  the  husband  giving  to  his  wife  a  blow  with  his 
whip  of  hippopotamus  hide.  He  then  leaves  her  side 
and  comes  without,  only  to  re-enter  the  house  and 
administer  a  second  blow.  Three  times  he  does  this, 
and  her  submissive  state  being  presumed  to  have  been 
firmly  established,  they  both  emerge  together.  The 
groom  now  holds  the  sheep's  head  while  his  wife  cuts 
its  throat.  Together  they  carry  the  carcass  within,  and 
while  they  prepare  it  for  the  pot,  someone  presents 
the  newly-married  couple  with  a  basket  of  milk.     The 


MANNEES  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  DESEET  EACES  139 

basket  of  milk  is  opened  and  offered  to  a  man  whose 
father  and  mother  are  still  living.  After  this  man 
has  tasted  it,  the  remainder  is  passed  among  his 
friends. 

During  seven  days  the  family  and  friends  gorge 
themselves  with  food  at  the  expense  of  the  parents  of 
the  bride.  After  that  the  door  of  the  new  house  is 
filled  in,  and  a  new  door  is  made  upon  the  opposite 
side.  Husband  and  wife  now  change  sandals.  The 
wedding  festivities  have  now  concluded,  and  the  battle 
of  life  has  begun.  If  the  husband  wishes,  the  wife 
may  remain  three  or  four  years  with  her  parents.  In 
this  case  the  latter  pay  her  expenses,  unless  they  have 
returned  to  the  husband  a  part  of  the  property  pre- 
viously converted  to  their  use  in  payment  of  the  bride. 
If  the  wife  dies,  the  husband  goes  to  her  father,  saying : 
*  Give  me  another  wife,  or  give  me  the  camels  which 
remain.'  If  the  father-in-law  has  no  other  daughters, 
the  widower  may  reclaim  one  from  his  uncle-in-law. 

Perhaps  the  husband  is  not  satisfied  with  his  wife  ; 
thereupon  the  father  of  the  girl  says :  '  Bring  her  to 
me  in  order  that  I  may  see.'  The  discredited  wife 
remains  with  her  parents  two  weeks,  and  if  the 
doleances  of  the  husband  seem  to  rest  upon  good 
foundation,  the  objectionable  wife  is  replaced  by  a 
sister. 

Divorce  among  the  Somalis  consists  in  simple 
separation.  The  husband  needs  but  to  formulate  his 
griefs  before  witnesses,  and  to  declare  his  intention  of 
freeing  himself.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  wife  has 
a  similar  remedy.  Even  in  Ethiopia  proper  the  wife 
has  a  very  subordinate  status,  and  must  possess 
exceptional  qualifications  to  control  in  any  degree  the 
movements  of  her  husband. 


140  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

When  a  man  dies,  the  members  of  his  family  lead 
several  of  his  animals  to  the  grave,  and  there 
sacrifice  them.  Nothing  of  the  sort  occurs  in  the 
event  of  the  death  of  a  woman. 

The  Gallas  are  much  more  advanced  towards  civiliza- 
tion than  either  the  Danakils  or  the  Somalis.  Their 
communities  are  directed  by  a  council  of  chiefs.  They 
have  never  possessed,  properly  speaking,  a  State 
organization — a  fact  which  has  greatly  facilitated  the 
absorption  of  their  territory  by  the  Ethiopians. 


CHAPTER  XV 

The  United  States  of  Abyssinia — The  King  of  Kaffa — The 
evolution  of  Ethiopia  under  Menelik — Property  rights. 

Menelik  has  created  the  United  States  of  Abyssinia — 
a  work  for  wLicli  lie  was  endowed  by  Nature  with  the 
constructive  intelligence  of  a  Bismarck,  and  the  faculty 
for  handling  men  by  sheer  amiability  of  a  McKinley. 
In  his  younger  and  salad  days,  when  the  crown  of 
Choa  sat  uneasily  upon  the  head  which  dreamed  then 
of  a  united  Abyssinia,  he  knew  how  to  be  a  Bismarck. 
To-day  he  is  all  McKinley.  Unity  is  an  accomplished 
fact,  and  he  says,  as  said  McKinley:  'The  day  of 
exclusiveness  is  over.'  I  have  talked  of  Menelik  with 
many  men,  and  upon  whatever  points  in  regard  to 
his  character  they  may  have  disagreed,  they  have  all 
asserted  in  varying  terms  that  his  natural  impulses 
are  every  one  in  favour  of  methods  of  concihation  and 
kindness. 

The  story  is  old  enough  of  his  reception  of  his 
rebellious  vassal,  the  King  of  Kaffa.  This  Prince,  so 
proud  that  he  wore  ordinarily  a  mantle  without  sleeves, 
and  had  himself  fed  by  a  slave  in  order  that  he  might 
reserve  his  hands  for  fighting  his  enemies,  was  made 
prisoner  and  brought  to  Addis-Ababa.  Upon  entering 
each  of  the  three  courts  of  the  Guebi,  the  King  of 
Kaffa  prostrated  himself  in  sign  of  abject  submission. 

141 


142  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Finally  lie  reached  the  imperial  presence,  where  he 
fell  flat  and  placed  a  stone  upon  the  back  of  his  neck, 
and  thus  waited  for  Menelik  to  speak.  The  Emperor's 
wrath  rose  with  the  recollection  of  the  wrongs  which 
the  Prince  of  Kaffa  had  done  him,  and  his  soldiers 
cried  out  injury  after  injury  upon  the  unhappy  King. 
After  the  tumult  had  continued  for  some  moments  the 
Negus  rose,  and,  commanding  silence,  said : 

*  Go  !  Throw  off  that  stone,  and  rise.  You  are  less 
to  be  blamed  than  these  men,  who  wish  sentence  to  be 
passed  upon  you  by  a  man  in  anger.' 

The  King  of  KafEa  rose,  and  sentence  was  deferred 
until  the  Emperor  in  his  calmer  moments  was  able  to 
devise  a  judgment  that  was  wise  as  well  as  just. 

The  unmistakable  tendency  of  Ethiopia  to  come  out 
of  the  darkness  of  the  ages  has  been  made  manifest 
imder  the  last  three  Emperors — Theodore,  John,  and 
Menelik.  The  careers  of  the  first  two  are  sufficiently 
well  known.  Theodore  attracted  attention  by  detaining 
as  prisoners  a  number  of  British  Government  Envoys, 
because,  forsooth,  Palmerston  had  neglected  to  acknow- 
ledge his  letter  to  the  Queen.  Thus  Theodore  brought 
upon  his  country  the  punitive  expedition  of  Lord 
Napier  in  1868,  and  found  a  suicide's  grave  himself. 

Menelik,  bom  in  1842,  was  the  hereditary  ruler  of 
the  kingdom  of  Choa.  The  Kings  of  Choa  are  pre- 
sumed to  be  the  descendants  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba, 
whose  own  son  Menelik  claimed  Solomon  as  his  father. 
By  traditional  right,  this  Hue  of  Kings  of  Choa  claimed 
suzerainty  over  the  empire,  as  Kings  of  Kings,  imtil  the 
middle  of  the  fourteenth  century.  Then  came  the 
Moslem  invasion  under  Mahomed  Gragne,  who  promptly 
possessed  himself  of  the  richest  kingdom  of  the  group, 
namely  Choa.     The  dethroned  King  of  Choa  sought 


POWER  OF  TRADITION  IN  ETHIOPIA  143 

asylum  of  his  vassal  lord  the  King  of  Tigre.  The 
King  of  Tigr^  found  it  convenient  to  take  charge  of 
the  imperial  crown  as  well  as  the  imperial  person.  The 
tradition  in  regard  to  the  over  lordship  of  the  King  of 
Choa  was  broken,  and  various  successors  of  the  King 
of  Tigre,  of  whom  history  takes  little  account  until 
Theodore  appeared,  followed  each  other  upon  the 
imperial  throne. 

Now,  the  power  of  tradition  is  very  strong  in 
Ethiopia,  so  Theodore  guarded  against  any  internal 
difficulties  upon  his  accession  by  demanding  of  the 
King  of  Choa  the  person  of  his  son  Menelik,  the 
present  Emperor.  Thus  the  latter  passed  his  youth 
as  a  hostage  at  the  Court  of  Theodore. 

Theodore  began  the  work  of  centralization  by 
quietly  dropping  the  kingdoms  of  Siemen  and  Amhara 
as  such.  There  then  remained  but  three  separate 
political  and  feudal  entities — Tigr^,  Choa,  and  Godjam. 
After  the  death  of  Theodore,  the  Ras  John,  who  had 
previously  been  in  rebellion  against  him,  secured  the 
mastery  of  the  empire.  In  the  meantime  Menelik 
had  obtained  his  liberty,  and  ruled  in  Choa  as  vassal 
King  until  the  death  of  John,  with  whom  he  had  lived 
on  good  terms.  Upon  John's  death  he  took  possession 
of  the  imperial  power,  having  behind  him  not  only  the 
rich  and  well-organized  kingdom  of  Choa,  but  the 
force  of  tradition. 

When  the  Emperor  John  lay  dying  in  1887,  and 
having  no  direct  successor,  it  is  said  that  he  com- 
mended to  his  chiefs  his  natural  son,  young  Ras 
Mangasha.  Ras  Mangasha  lives  to-day,  but  as  a  tran- 
quil and  submissive  subject  of  Menehk.  MeneHk,  even 
at  that  early  date,  had  justified  his  right  to  command. 
He  was  the  overshadowing  figure  of  the  time,  and  so 


144  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

was  proclaimed  Emperor  on  March  26,  1889,  with  the 
consent  of  the  great  leaders  of  the  period. 

Then  followed  the  troubles  with  Italy.  The  details 
of  the  diplomatic  negotiations  between  the  two  nations 
make  tedious  reading  to-day.  By  Article  XVII.  of  the 
Treaty  of  Uccialli,  it  was  agreed  that  'His  Majesty 
the  King  of  Kings  of  Ethiopia  consents  to  employ  the 
Government  of  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy  in 
treating  all  matters  that  may  arise  with  other  Powers 
and  Governments.'  The  Italian  Government,  on  the 
strength  of  this  treaty,  formally  announced,  on 
October  11,  1889,  to  the  Powers  of  Europe  the 
establishment  of  a  protectorate  over  Abyssinia. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  prior  to  this  period 
the  Ras  Mangasha  of  Tigre  had  been  in  the  field,  an 
aspirant  for  the  imperial  throne,  and  that  Italy,  through 
Count  AntoneUi,  had  espoused  the  cause  of  Menelik. 
Menelik  came  to  terms  with  Mangasha,  who  acknow- 
ledged the  former's  suzerainty.  After  the  settlement 
of  this  domestic  difficulty,  the  protectorate  question 
with  Italy  became  acute.  Menelik  announced  his 
accession  to  the  imperial  throne  to  certain  European 
Powers  directly,  and  was  informed  in  return  that  he 
should  have  made  this  communication  through  the 
Italian  Government. 

He  wrote  at  once  to  King  Hmnbert,  September  27, 
1890,  denouncing  Article  XVII.  of  the  Treaty  of  Uccialli. 
His  contention  was  that  in  his  version  of  the  treaty, 
written  in  the  Amharic  language,  the  word  *  consents  ' 
had  not  been  used,  and  that  in  place  thereof  were  the 
words  the  *  Negus  has  the  power '  to  employ  the 
Government  of  Italy  in  treating  with  other  Govern- 
ments. The  Abyssinian  Emperor  drew  a  very  sharp 
distinction  between  his  presumed  permissive  right  to 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  ETHIOPIA  145 

make  commuiiications  to  the  world  tlirougli  the  Italian 
Government,  and  his  obligation  so  to  do,  presumed  by 
the  Italian  Government. 

Diplomatic  relations  were  broken  off,  and  Menelik 
issued  a  circular  to  the  Powers  describing  the  boun- 
daries of  his  empire  as  he  understood  them.  These 
boundaries  failed  to  accord  with  those  claimed  for  the 
Italian  coast  colony  of  Erythrea.  In  this  letter  Menelik 
said : 

*  I  have  no  intention  of  being  an  indifferent  spectator 
if  far-distant  Powers  make  their  appearance  with  the 
idea  of  dividing  Africa,  Ethiopia  having  been  for 
fourteen  centuries  an  island  of  Christians  among  a  sea 
of  Pagans.  As  the  Almighty  has  protected  Ethiopia 
to  this  day,  I  am  confident  He  will  increase  and  protect 
it  in  the  future.' 

The  situation  continued  to  be  complicated  for  a 
number  of  years.  War  broke  out,  and  the  fateful 
battle  of  Adowa  was  fought  in  1896,  with  disaster  to 
Italian  arms.  Prior  to  engaging  in  this  campaign, 
Menelik  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

'  Hitherto  God  has  graciously  preserved  our  native 
land.  He  has  permitted  us  to  conquer  our  enemies, 
and  to  reconstitute  our  Ethiopia.  It  is  by  the  grace 
of  God  that  I  have  reigned  hitherto,  and  if  my  death 
is  near,  I  have  no  anxiety  on  that  account,  for  death  is 
the  fate  of  all  men.  But  to  this  day  God  has  never 
humiliated  me.  In  the  same  manner  He  will  sustain 
me  in  the  future. 

*  An  enemy  is  come  across  the  sea.  He  has  broken 
through  our  frontiers,  in  order  to  destroy  our  father- 
land and  our  faith.  I  allowed  him  to  seize  my  posses- 
sions, and  I  entered  upon  lengthy  negotiations  with 

10 


146  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

him,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  justice  without  blood- 
shed, but  the  enemy  refuses  to  listen.  He  continues 
to  advance,  he  undermines  our  territories  and  our 
people  like  a  mole.  Enough  !  With  the  help  of  God 
I  will  defend  the  inheritance  of  my  forefathers,  and 
drive  back  the  invader  by  force  of  arms.  Let  every 
man  who  has  sufficient  strength  accompany  me.  And 
he  who  has  not,  let  him  pray  for  us.' 

After  Adowa  the  political  independence  of  Menelik 
was  a  recognised  fact.  The  relations  with  Italy  were 
put  upon  a  healthy  basis  by  Major  Ciccodicola,  and 
other  nations  sent  missions  to  the  capital. 

An  era  of  good  feeling  now  prevailed,  leaving  the 
Emperor  free  to  carry  on  his  work  of  reconstitution. 
By  the  submission  of  Mangasha  the  autonomy  of  Tigr^ 
had  disappeared.  Menelik  himself  was  the  hereditary 
King  of  Choa,  and  the  King  of  God  jam  was  the  one 
remaining  tie  which  bound  the  feudal  system  to  the 
new.  Tecla  Haimonot  was  not  disturbed  as  King  of 
Godjam,  however,  and  he  died  in  the  fulness  of  his 
years  as  such,  early  in  1901.  By  his  death  the  pur- 
pose of  the  African  Bismarck  had  been  accomplished. 
Abyssinia  had  been  unified.  Menehk  sat  upon  the 
throne  of  the  King  of  Kings,  but  the  vassal  Kings 
existed  only  in  memory.  Some  of  the  provincial 
Princes  ruling  over  great  tribes  are,  to  this  day, 
referred  to  as  Kings,  but  the  word  no  longer  has  its 
old  meaning  as  applied  to  them,  for  they  are  merely 
governors,  who  derive  their  authority  from  Menelik, 
not  merely  acknowledging  his  overlordship,  but 
administering  his  laws  and  gathering  his  taxes.  The 
old  Abyssinian  kingdoms  are  geographical  expressions, 
for  Abyssinia  is  now  complete. 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  ETHIOPIA  147 

To-day  tlie  ancient  kingdoms  exist  as  provinces,  and 
still  other  provinces,  such  as  that  of  Harrar,  have  been 
added  to  the  empire,  as  I  have  before  mentioned.  Over 
each  province  there  is  a  Ras,  or  Governor-General.  Of 
such  was  the  Ras  Makonnen,  who,  after  the  Emperor, 
was  the  best-known  Ethiopian  in  Europe.  These 
Rases  are  nominated,  transferred,  and  dispossessed 
by  the  Emperor  at  his  wiU.  Each  province  is  sub- 
divided into  cantons,  of  which,  broadly  speaking,  one- 
half  belongs  to  the  Crown.  The  Crown,  instead  of 
paying  the  provincial  governors  and  functionaries  in 
money,  attributes  to  them  the  revenues  of  these  Crown 
lands.  Over  the  private  landowners,  as  the  immediate 
representative  of  the  Government,  there  is  a  sort  of 
mayor  elected  by  the  people,  and  called  the  '  choum.' 
The  great  business  in  life  of  a  choum  is  to  collect 
the  taxes  belonging  to  the  Crown.  The  terms  of  con- 
tracts are  agreed  to  in  the  presence  of  the  choum, 
and  he  dispenses  justice  of  a  Solomon-like  character 
upon  nine-tenths  of  the  minor  difficulties  which  arise 
between  man  and  man.  Appeal  is  taken  to  the  court 
of  the  Ras,  a  tribunal  of  three  judges,  and  from  this 
tribunal  to  the  supreme  court  of  the  Emperor. 

The  Ethiopian  Government  recognises  three  sorts  of 
land  divisions — Crown  lands.  Church  lands,  and  private 
lands.  Included  under  the  head  of  Crown  lands  are 
the  fiefs  controlled  by  the  Crown,  the  revenue  of  which 
is  enjoyed  by  functionaries,  as  explained  before,  or 
applied  to  the  support  of  the  military  establishment. 
These  fiefs  descend  from  the  Cro^vn  to  the  Ras,  who 
divides  them  into  secondary  fiefs.  These  are  again 
subdivided  among  the  humbler  public  servants.  These 
fiefs  are  not  hereditary,  although  it  is  customary  for 
them  to  be  transferred  by  the  Ras  to  the  sons  of  their 

10—2 


148  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

last  possessors.  While  slavery  does  not  exist,  properly 
speaking,  the  peasants  are  virtually  in  a  state  of 
serfdom,  with  this  distinction,  that  they  are  not 
attached  to  the  soil.  Private  landowners  pay  a  tax  in 
kind  of  one-tenth  of  their  increase,  or  one-tenth  of  the 
crop,  to  the  village  chomn.  The  taxes  on  Church 
lands  are  paid  by  the  tenants  to  the  clergy.  Pro- 
prietors owe,  upon  demand,  three  days  of  labour  every 
week  for  the  service  of  the  Emperor.  While  owner- 
ship of  the  ecclesiastical  lands  vests  legally  in  the 
Church,  they  are  assigned  to  individuals,  and  become, 
to  all  intents  and  purposes,  the  private  property  of  the 
individual,  upon  payment  of  the  taxes  imposed  by  the 
Church. 

Many  erroneous  statements  are  made  in  regard  to 
property  rights  in  Ethiopia,  and,  indeed,  the  subject 
is  one  not  readily  comprehensible  in  all  of  its  phases 
to  the  foreigner.  There  are  in  the  empire  two  super- 
posed peoples  :  the  one,  the  conqueror  or  Abyssinian  ; 
the  other,  the  conquered,  a  subject  of  whatever  race. 
M.  Eugene  Carette  has  made  for  me  a  statement  upon 
this  subject,  which  makes  the  situation  clear : 

*  Some  persons  deny  that  property  rights  exist ; 
others  aflfirm  that  they  have  been  safeguarded  by 
careful  guarantees.  Now,  the  fact  is  not  open  to 
doubt  that  property  rights  are  not  strongly  protected 
according  to  European  standards,  except  in  those 
provinces  where  Ethiopian  laws  have  been  enforced 
through  loDg  periods  of  time,  and  in  such  provinces 
these  rights  exist  and  are  respected  as  in  Europe, 
subject  to  Ethiopian  law.  In  the  conquered  provinces 
annexed  in  our  day,  the  possession  of  the  soil  has 
retained  the  character  which  it  formerly  had,  although 
modified    by    the    vicissitudes    of    modern    political 


Pholox7-ap/i  hy  St.  Hfrtoliiii. 


The  Ras  Ouai-do  Gorghis. 


PEOPEETY  EIGHTS  IN  ETHIOPIA  149 

fortunes.  The  fact  tliat  the  Emperor  has  for  certain 
reasons  parcelled  the  land  out  between  the  inhabitants 
does  not  prove  that  property  rights  have  undergone 
great  modifications.  Still,  private  ownership  exists. 
It  is  transmissible  by  sale,  inheritance,  or  donation. 
Those  having  rights  cannot  be  dispossessed  without 
judicial  process,  but  in  practice  a  sale,  loan,  or  gift  of 
land  to  a  foreigner  will  never  be  permitted  without 
formal  sanction  of  the  Sovereign.  The  conquered 
provinces  constitute  in  large  part  the  Crown  lands, 
and  the  Emperor  has  farms  more  or  less  everywhere. 
These  qualifications  aside,  it  may  be  said  that  in  the 
desert  zone  the  nomadic  existence  of  the  population 
leaves  no  place  for  individual  rights.  The  individual 
exists  only  as  the  member  of  a  tribe.  It  is  the  tribe 
which  possesses  for  all,  both  pasturage  and  watering- 
places — ^the  two  great  regulators  of  nomadic  life.' 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  law  of  the  Fetha  Nagast,  or  fundamental  statutes  of 
Ethiopia. 

The  Emperor  is  tlie  sole  source  of  new  legislation. 
Except  as  lie  is  governed  himself  by  the  Fetha  Nagast, 
the  force  of  tradition,  and  the  counsels  of  his  friends, 
his  power  is  unrestrained.  The  Fetha  Nagast  is  the 
basic  law  of  the  country,  but  its  principles  are  laid 
down  in  such  broad  terms  that  in  practice  the  law  of 
custom  is  more  generally  invoked.  The  parties  to  a 
controversy  not  infrequently  resort  to  arbitration, 
rather  than  go  before  the  courts,  and  they  may  take 
as  their  judge  the  first  traveller  encountered,  or 
possibly  a  child,  upon  the  Scriptural  theory  that  '  out 
of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast 
perfected  wisdom.'  The  spirit  of  controversy  is 
strongly  developed  in  every  Abyssinian.  During  our 
progress  to  Addis-Ababa  we  were  several  times 
mystified  by  the  discussions  of  our  servants,  who, 
grouped  together,  appeared  to  be  profoundly  interested 
in  argument  over  some  issue  utterly  incomprehensible 
to  ourselves.  These  debates  turned  out  to  be  moot 
courts,  the  holding  of  which  is  a  popular  distraction. 
Every  Ethiopian  is  more  or  less  a  lawyer,  possessed 
of  a  Solomon -like  wisdom,  and  the  principles  of 
procedure    are    so    commonly  understood    that   real 

150 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  FETHA  NAGAST  151 

lawyers  are  not  Mghly  regarded.  The  individual  may 
always  plead  for  himself. 

The  Emperor  is  the  final  judge,  to  whom  weighty 
matters  are  appealed  as  a  court  of  last  resort.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  has  always  at  hand  his  Affa-Nagast, 
or  Supreme  Judge  of  the  empire,  who  relieves  him  of 
the  actual  consideration  of  nine-tenths  of  the  important 
litigation  which  comes  up  on  appeal.  In  the  provinces 
the  Ras  stands  in  the  place  of  the  Emperor,  and  has 
also  superior  judges,  who  receive  on  appeal  causes 
brought  up  from  the  provincial  governors.  The 
Emperor  does  not  possess  the  right  to  extend  clemency 
to  homicides.  The  latter  may  sometimes  escape,  and 
seek  asylum  in  the  churches,  as  was  the  case  in 
Europe  during  the  Middle  Ages.  Good  stories  pass 
current  regarding  Abyssinian  justice,  as  they  do  in 
other  parts  of  the  world,  but  should  be  read  with 
scepticism.     This  is  a  sample  : 

A  man  and  a  woman  being  engaged  in  a  legal 
controversy,  the  woman  brought  the  judge  a  jar  of 
honey.  The  man  brought  him  a  mule.  The  sentence 
of  the  court  ran  against  the  woman,  much  to  her 
indignation. 

'Much  good  did  it  do  me  to  bring  you  presents,' 
she  exclaimed  to  the  judge  ;  '  my  adversary  has  won.' 

'  Why  dost  thou  complain  ?'  replied  the  judge.  *  A 
mule  has  passed  by  and  has  kicked  thy  jar  to  pieces.' 

The  recognised  written  law  is  not  really  of  Ethiopian 
origin  at  all.  The  Fetha  Nagast  is,  in  fact,  the  rule  of 
the  Coptic  Church,  and  is  as  broad  as  that  Church  in 
its  application.  It  is  accepted  in  Abyssinia  as  the 
fundamental  law,  because  the  Church  is  accepted  as 
the  true  Church,  of  which  the  Emperor  is  the  official 
head.     The  law  was  not  written  either  in  the  Amharic 


152  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

or  in  tlie  Gh^ze,  which  is  the  ecclesiastical  language 
of  the  empire.  The  Gh^ze,  however,  closely  resembles 
Arabic,  which  is  the  living  language  of  the  Coptic 
Church,  and  for  this  reason,  the  official  version  of 
the  code  exists  only  in  Arabic.  From  the  Arabic 
an  Itahan  translation  has  been  made  recently  by 
Ignazio  Guidi.  The  Fetha  Nagast  had  no  complete 
existence  in  writing  until  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth 
century.  The  author  of  the  code,  Al  Assad  Ibn  Al 
Assal,  charged  with  this  task  by  the  Council  of 
Nice,  undertook  to  combine  in  a  single  work  the 
scattered  fragments  of  the  law,  of  which  only  one 
similar  collection  had  been  before  undertaken.  The 
materials  for  this  collection  are  said  by  the  author  to 
have  been  taken  from  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
the  apocryphal  apostolic  writings,  the  canons  of  the  first 
Councils,  and  canons  attributed  to  St.  Hippolyte. 

The  Arabian  author  prefaces  his  work  with  the 
following  very  interesting  introduction  : 

'  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  are  but  one  God ;  with  the  help 
of  the  Lord,  and  happily  by  Him  assisted,  we  come 
to  write  a  preface  of  the  law  laid  down  by  the  holy 
Fathers  of  Greece.  May  their  prayer  and  benediction 
and  their  aid  be  with  all  Christians  eternally  !     Amen. 

'After  the  termination  of  the  era  of  the  martyrs, 
when  the  three  hundred  and  eighteen  orthodox  Fathers 
of  the  Council  of  Nice  were  convoked  by  the  Emperor 
Constantine,  this  latter  said  unto  them  : 

*  "  Myself,  so  far  as  it  may  concern  me,  I  do  not  wish 
to  reign,  since  it  is  evident  that  the  way  of  Christ  and 
the  way  of  the  world  are  different.  And  it  is  likewise 
true  that  the  way  of  Christ  and  His  precepts  have  said  : 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  FETHA  NAGAST  153 

'Love  your  enemies,  praise  them  who  oppress  you.' 
This  He  said,  and  other  things  like  unto  it. 

*  "  I  conclude  from  this  commandment,  which  is  the 
second  law  of  perfection,  that  He  orders  us  to  be 
patient,  to  support,  to  pardon,  to  aid,  and  to  praise 
our  neighbour,  and  to  consider  him  our  equal.  Now, 
how  may  I  conform  to  the  law,  and  order  pains,  and 
the  payment  of  debts  when  they  fall  due,  without 
pity,  and  take  vengeance  upon  the  oppressors  for 
the  oppressed  ?  Consequently,  that  which  is  perfect 
should  perforce  destroy  and  break  up  that  which  is 
imperfect,  and  consequently  the  law  of  our  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  has  destroyed  that  which  preceded  it. 
But  this  latter  should  never  be  destroyed,  since 
nothing  exists  in  reality  more  honoured  than  this  law 
of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  the  law  of  accomplishment 
of  duties  and  of  perfection." 

*  Then,  when  the  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
Fathers  heard  these  words  of  Constantine,  they  offered 
prayer  to  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  .  .  .  Then  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  heard  their  prayer,  and  com- 
manded them  to  seek  the  book  of  law  in  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments.  And  this  book  was  written  by  Ibn 
Al  Assal.  They  gave  it  to  Constantine,  son  of  Helena, 
and  he  reigned  in  the  land  of  the  Greeks  ;  while  that 
before  he  had  this  book  he  did  not  wish  to  reign. 

*  The  sacred  books  that  the  faithful  will  receive  as 
canonical  are  : 

'  The  Books  of  the  Old  Testament — to  wit: 

*  The  Pentateuch,  five  books. 

*  Joshua  ;    Judges  ;    Ruth  ;    Judith  ;    Kings,   four 

books. 
'  Paralipomenon,  two  books  ;  Ezra,  two  books. 


164  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

*  Esther ;  Tobias  ;  Maccabees,  two  books. 

*  Job  ;  Psabns  of  David  ;  Wisdom  of  Solomon,  four 

books. 

*  The  greater  prophets  :  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 

and  Daniel,  four  books. 

*  The  minor  prophets  :    Hosea,  Amos,  Mica,   Joel, 

Obadiah,  Jonah,  Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Zephania, 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  Malachi,  twelve  books. 

*  The    wisdom  of    Jesus    son    of    Sirach  for    the 

instruction  of  youth  ;  and  the  Book  of  Joseph 
son  of  Koryon. 

'  The  Books  of  the  New  Testament — to  wit: 

'  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
the  Book  of  Paul,  John  the  Evangelist.' 

The  Fetha  Nagast  itself  is  divided  into  two  parts, 
the  first  of  which  contains  the  ecclesiastical  law  and 
the  second  the  civil  law.  Some  of  the  extracts  which 
I  shall  quote  from  the  law  shed  a  great  deal  of  light 
upon  the  habits  of  thought  of  the  Ethiopian  people,  as, 
for  example,  on  giving  to  the  poor  : 

*  Giving  is  one  of  the  forms  of  charity,  and  it  is  the 
art  of  compassion  made  with  man's  proper  substance 
to  give  to  those  who  have  need,  without  the  desire 
of  reciprocity.  .  .  .  Giving  is  a  loan  made  to  God, 
and  equally  a  transaction  certain  of  advantage  with 
God.' 

Concerning  the  dead : 

*  Assemble  without  fear  in  the  churches  and  read 
the  holy  books  and  sing  the  psalms  for  them  who 
are  asleep  in  death,  and  who  were  of  the  martyrs  and 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  FETHA  NAGAST  155 

saints  of  old,  and  for  your  brothers  who  die  in  the 
faith  of  the  Lord.  Go  before  their  bier  singing 
psahns.  And  if  the  dead  was  faithful  to  Christ, 
David  the  prophet  hath  said  :  "  Precious  unto  the 
Lord  is  the  death  of  the  just ";  also  hath  he  said  : 
"  Come,  my  soul,  retake  thy  tranquillity,  because  the 
Lord  hath  sanctified  thee."  0  bishops,  and  0 
laymen,  touch  we  all  with  care  the  body  of  him 
who  is  dead,  and  fear  not  to  be  contaminated  for  this, 
nor  neglect  not  their  bones  for  such  motives.' 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  said  that  the  dead  are 
buried  within  two  hours  of  decease  beside  the  nearest 
church,  and  within  the  enclosure  if  they  have  taken 
Communion.  The  teskar,  or  feast  after  death,  occurs 
forty  days  later.  Here  the  will  is  read,  or,  as  is  more 
often  the  case,  if  the  deceased  has  made  known  his 
wishes  to  a  priest,  the  latter  now  discloses  the  com- 
munication. Collateral  branches  of  the  family  do  not 
inherit.  Property  without  heirs  to  claim  it  reverts  to 
the  Emperor. 

Concerning  food,  clothing,  and  trades  proper  for 
Christians : 

'As  to  the  aliments,  nothing  is  prohibited  by  the 
Christian  law,  except  that  which  is  interdicted  in  the 
Book  of  Acts,  and  in  the  canons,  which  say :  "It  has 
pleased  the  Holy  Spirit  and  ourselves  not  to  impose 
upon  you  a  burden  heavier  than  this,  that  you  cease  to 
eat  naturally — that  is  to  say,  you  avoid  absorbing  the 
blood  and  the  body  of  that  which  is  sacrificed  to  idols, 
and  the  fragments  which  animals  have  eaten.  These 
things  are  interdicted  because  of  the  spiritual  harm 
which    might  result   therefrom ;    because,    in    asso- 


156  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

dating  himself  with  idolaters  to  eat  that  which  is 
sacrificed  unto  idols,  the  Christian  becomes  such 
that  he  associates  with  them  in  the  cult  of  idols  .  .  . 
but  they  have  not  prohibited  this  as  a  thing  impure, 
since  by  nature  these  are  all  creatures  of  God,  and 
there  has  been  written  for  us  in  the  law  a  passage 
which  says  :  "  And  the  Lord  saw  all  that  He  had 
made,  and  it  was  good."  .  .  . 

*  Faculty  is  thus  given  to  abstain  from  nothing 
except  that  which  is  such  as  conduces  to  the  corrup- 
tion of  the  soul,  the  corruption  of  the  nature,  and  the 
corruption  of  the  body  .  .  .  and  thus,  for  example, 
venomous  animals,  ferocious  and  rapacious  beasts, 
with  nails  and  claws,  or  which  nourish  themselves 
with  poisons  and  poisonous  plants,  which  corrupt  the 
mind  and  body  in  being  eaten. 

*  If  someone  thinks  that  something  is  impure,  that 
shall  be  impure  for  him  alone,  since  everything  in 
itself  is  pure.  But  only  it  is  written :  "  Every  man 
should  eat  without  scandal  and  without  doubt ;  and 
if  someone  doubts  that  this  be  bad,  let  him  not  eat  of 
the  meat  nor  drink  of  the  wine,  or  do  anything  which 
may  scandalize  our  brothers,  for  whosoever  eats  and 
doubts  is  doomed,  for  he  has  not  done  this  thing  with 
faith,  and  all  that  is  not  done  in  faith  is  sin."  ' 

As  to  the  apparel  which  may  be  worn,  this  is  spoken 
of  in  the  canons  under  different  heads  : 

*  The  canons  forbid  the  wearing  of  costumes  with 
ornaments,  coUars,  and  embroideries  on  the  part  of  the 
clergy,  and  they  say  that  ministers  in  the  sanctuary 
should  wear  white  costumes  ;  and  that  the  women 
should  not  take  the  costumes  of  the  men,  nor  the  men 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  FETHA  NAGAST  157 

ttose  of  the  women.  Men  may  not  wear  rings,  nor 
women  clothing  embroidered  with  gold,  which  giveth 
rise  to  pride.  Monks  will  wear  rough  costumes  of 
wool,  or  like  things,  such  as  skins.  .  .  .  The  priest 
will  not  wear  the  costume  of  the  soldier,  or  the 
builder,  or  the  doctor,  or  the  philosopher.  .  .  .  The 
Lord  taught  His  disciples  not  to  possess  many 
garments. 

'As  to  the  habitation,  it  is  meet  that  it  should  be 
limited  to  that  which  is  strictly  necessary,  and  be 
in  accordance  with  the  evangelical  law,  which  is  the 
law  of  perfection  for  those  who  repudiate  passing 
things,  and  who  seek  stable  things.  ...  As  it  is  meet 
that  food  and  clothing  be  as  it  is  commanded — that  is 
to  say,  solely  to  avoid  the  torture  of  hunger  and  of 
cold — so  likewise  is  the  precept  regarding  the  habita- 
tion— that  is  to  say,  it  should  be  useful,  sufficient  for 
those  who  therein  assemble,  as  a  shelter.  .  .  .  Our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  hath  ordered  that  our  fashion  of 
living  be  based  upon  His  works  during  His  incarna- 
tion. .  .  .  He  hath  told  us  that  He  had  no  habitation, 
nor  place  where  to  lay  His  head. 

*As  to  the  trades,  all  is  permitted  except  those 
which  are  worldly,  which  contrast  with  the  spirit 
of  the  laws  of  God,  which  are  :  of  enchantment,  or  of 
making  of  idols,  of  execution  of  objects  serving  for  the 
cult  of  idols,  and  those  which  evoke  the  Devil  and 
witchcraft.' 

Marriage  is  held  up  in  the  law  as  necessary,  in 
order  to  obey  the  Scriptural  injunction  to  increase  and 
multiply.  The  marriage  of  young  widows  is  advised, 
on  the  authority  of  the  Epistle  to  Timothy,  as  a  means 
of  preventing  the  enemy  from  finding  a  lodging-place 


158  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

in  their  hearts.     In  practice,  the  Abyssinian  marriage 
exists  under  three  forms  : 

1.  The  civil  marriage,  without  dower  on  either  side, 
which  amounts  to  something  like  free-love.  It  is 
followed  by  frequent  divorces,  and  the  formalities 
are  unimportant.  The  bridegroom  visits  the  parents 
of  the  bride,  agrees  upon  the  gift  which  is  to  be  theirs, 
and  takes  possession  of  the  person  of  his  choice  until 
such  time  as  it  shall  please  him  to  return  her  to  her 
family. 

2.  The  civil  marriage  with  a  contract.  This  takes 
place  before  the  choum,  or  mayor.  The  property  of 
the  two  contracting  parties  is  specified  in  his  presence, 
and  a  partition  in  the  event  of  future  divorce  is  agreed 
upon,  this  agreement  being  generally  to  divide  the 
property  equally. 

3.  The  most  solemn  marriage  ceremony  is  the 
indissoluble  religious  marriage.  It  is  practised 
generally  among  the  very  great,  or  those  who,  being 
satisfied  of  the  fidelity  of  their  spouses,  desire  to  get 
into  harmony  with  the  precepts  of  the  Church. 

The  laws  regarding  liberty,  slavery,  and  enfran- 
chisement are  drawn  from  the  Book  of  Kings  : 

*  The  freeing  of  slaves  is  an  act  of  conscience,  a 
thing  imposed  upon  wise  persons,  since  all  men 
should  acknowledge  liberty,  because  at  the  Creation 
man  was  bom  free.  But  war  and  raids  may  cause 
some  to  serve  others,  because  it  is  a  law  of  war  that 
the  conquered  become  the  slaves  of  the  conqueror. 
The  Mosaic  law  made  a  serving  class  of  infidels  and 
their  offspring.  It  is  written :  "  Let  them  become 
your  servants,  whom  you  take  from  the  people  round 
about  you,  and  the  strangers  who  live  with  you."  The 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  FETHA  NAGAST  159 

believing  servant  may  not  be  sold  to  an  infidel.  The 
sons  of  tbe  slave  are  the  property  of  the  patron,  thougb 
born  of  a  free  father.' 

Homicides  are  classed  tinder  two  heads,  as  being 
involuntary  and  voluntary.  Involuntary  homicides  do 
not  merit  death. 

*Thus,  the  case  of  a  homicide  vrho  is  bereft  of 
reason,  and  children  of  less  than  seven  years,  and  the 
drunken  man  having  lost  his  reason,  should  not  be 
executed.  But  the  drunken  man  has  lost  his  reason 
voluntarily,  v^hile  the  insane  and  idiots  have  lost 
theirs  involuntarily ;  hence  the  punishment  should 
differ  in  the  two  cases.  If  it  is  learned  that  the 
drunken  homicide  has  not  feigned  his  condition,  and 
that  discussion  has  not  taken  place  between  him  and 
his  victim,  let  him  be  punished  as  a  drunken  man, 
and  let  his  penalty  be  that  inflicted  upon  an  involun- 
tary homicide.' 

Death  is  the  penalty  visited  upon  wilful  murderers. 
Of  stealing : 

*  It  is  said  in  the  second  book  of  the  Pentateuch : 
**  If  the  man  steal  an  ox  or  a  sheep,  and  kill  or  sell  it, 
let  him  pay  for  five  oxen,  and  for  the  sheep  let  him 
pay  the  value  of  four  sheep.  And  if  the  thing  stolen 
be  not  found  in  his  house,  and  if  he  possess  nothing, 
let  his  labour  be  sold  for  the  amount  of  that  which  he 
hath  stolen.  If  a  man  care  not  for  his  beasts,  and  they 
eat  of  the  grass  of  another  man,  let  him  give  the  best 
product  of  his  seed." 

*  And  in  the  fifth  book  of  the  Pentateuch  it  is 
said :  "If  someone  be  found  who  has  stolen  the  soul 


160  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

of  his  brother,  or  has  excited  and  aided  in  the  sale  of 
a  lost  soul,  he  shall  suffer  the  pain  of  death." 

*  If  a  man  enters  the  church  and  takes  away  one  of 
the  sacred  emblems,  let  the  cross  be  laid  upon  him 
with  a  red-hot  iron  ;  and  he  who  does  likewise  outside 
the  church,  let  him  be  pursued,  and  let  his  head  be 
shaved,  and  let  him  be  exiled. 

*  Those  who  steal  free  or  slave  children,  or  who 
ravish  the  country  of  the  domestic  animals,  our  law 
commands  that  they  be  killed  or  exiled. 

'  He  who  steals  an  animal  of  another,  for  the  first 
offence  l6t  him  be  pursued,  the  second  time  exiled, 
and  the  third  time  let  his  hands  be  cut  off,  and  the 
animal  returned  to  its  owner. 

*  Whosoever  is  a  chief  of  brigands  and  a  homicide, 
let  his  hands  be  cut  off,  likewise  the  hands  of  those 
who  aid  him. 

*  Those  who  steal  in  a  city,  for  the  first  time,  if 
they  are  rich  and  free,  let  them  pay  to  the  loser  the 
double  of  the  things  stolen  ;  if  they  are  poor,  let  them 
be  pursued  and  exiled,  and  if  they  repeat  the  offence, 
let  their  hands  be  cut  off. 

*  Nocturnal  robbers  visiting  dwellings  with  arms 
merit  death  ;  and  robbers  by  day,  who  give  fear  to 
the  people,  and  steal  from  the  sacks  of  grain,  and 
who  break  bolts,  let  them  be  taken  before  parents,  and 
made  to  pay  for  that  which  is  stolen. 

*  Whosoever  steals  during  a  fire,  or  when  a  house 
collapses,  or  during  a  ship^vreck,  and  those  who 
fraudulently  receive  stolen  goods,  they  shall  pay  four 
times  as  much  as  that  which  they  have  stolen. 

*  Whosoever  robs  the  dead  of  their  clothing,  let 
his  hands  be  cut  off.  But  the  law  forbids  the  cutting 
off  of  both  hands  and  both  feet  at  the  same  time.' 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  FETHA  NAGAST  161 

While  the  measures  respecting  robbery  may  seem  a 
little  Draconian,  they  have  the  advantage  of  being 
very  effective.  Theft  is  so  uncommon  in  Ethiopia  as 
to  be  practically  unknown.  The  law  is  executed 
literally  when  cases  of  this  kind  do  occur,  as  every 
traveller  in  Ethiopia  can  testify.  We  saw  several 
mutilated  persons  during  our  visit,  and  ascertained 
that  they  had  paid  the  penalty  established  for  theft. 
It  is  regarded  as  wiser  public  policy  to  visit  these 
severe  penalties  upon  the  wrongdoer,  and  to  secure 
the  benefit  of  the  lesson  which  his  mutilated  presence 
in  the  conmaunity  gives,  than  to  build  expensive 
jails,  the  corrective  influence  of  wbich  would  be 
open  to  question. 


11 


CHAPTER  XVn 

The  Abyssinian  Church — The  monophysite  doctrine — Language 
and  literature — The  army — Mobility  of  native  troops. 

I  MET  the  head  of  the  Ethiopian  Church,  the  Abouna 
Matthew,  upon  several  occasions,  and  found  him  a 
courtly  old  gentleman,  deeply  interested  in  garden 
seeds.  He  stood  among  his  plants  under  a  huge 
umbrella,  directing  horticultural  operations,  when  I 
first  entered  his  domain,  and  hastily  beat  a  retreat  to 
his  house,  where  he  received  me  with  much  courtesy. 
We  were  not  allowed  to  enter  imtil  the  servants  had 
rolled  a  carpet  down  the  steps,  nor  were  we  permitted 
to  leave  until  his  delicious  coffee  had  been  served. 
The  old  gentleman  protested  mildly  that  his  people 
were  possessed  of  a  blind  faith,  but  he  did  not  appear 
to  feel  any  very  urgent  necessity  for  making  it  other- 
wise, and  perhaps  under  all  the  circumstances  he  was 
right.  Even  my  keen-witted  interpreter,  himself  the 
nephew  of  the  Etchequi^,  could  shed  very  little  light 
upon  the  institutions  of  the  Church,  through  which  the 
Ethiopian  civilization  had  been  handed  down  through 
the  centuries. 

We  visited  several  of  the  churches,  both  in  town 
and  country,  and  found  them  all  much  alike — roughly- 
built  circular  structures  with  thatched  roofs  sur- 
mounted by  Greek  crosses.     Sometimes  ostrich  eggs 

162 


THE  ABYSSINIAN  CHUBCH  163 

were  suspended  from  the  tips  of  the  cross.  A  corridor 
runs  completely  around  the  interior,  and  here  the 
worshippers  gather.  The  altar  is  within  the  central 
portion  of  the  building.  There  are  usually  a  number 
of  crude  pictures  within,  representing  at  least  the 
Virgin  and  Saints  Michael  and  George,  for  whom  the 
Abyssinians  have  a  special  veneration.  If  the  church 
is  prosperous  there  are  portraits  of  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  and  representations  of  miracles. 

On  one  occasion  we  passed  a  rural  church  during  a 
morning  celebration  and  stopped  to  look  on.  A  boy 
outside  was  pounding  a  drum,  and  within  four  other 
drums  were  being  pounded,  there  being  no  attempt  at 
unison  whatever.  Half  a  dozen  melancholy  clerks 
leaned  on  staffs  that  looked  like  crutches,  and  rattled 
what  were  apparently  castanets.  In  the  midst  of  the 
din  a  venerable  celebrant  chanted,  with  frequent 
responses  from  his  assistants.  The  voices  of  all  were 
keyed  high,  and  the  responses  ended  in  the  falsetto 
wail  characteristic  of  Abyssinian  vocal  effort.  I  can- 
not truly  say  that  the  service  was  in  any  way  impres- 
sive, but  there  were  many  worshippers  who  came  and 
went,  and  all  of  whom  were  certainly  devout  and 
respectful.  What  is  admirable  about  the  Ethiopian 
religion  is  that  it  is  genuine.  It  may  be  ignorant 
belief,  but  it  has  the  merit  of  being  belief. 

Our  own  presence  at  this  particular  church  aroused 
such  violent  curiosity  among  the  clerical  gentlemen 
that  the  most  of  them  abandoned  the  service  in  order 
to  scrutinize  the  considerable  body  of  foreigners  out- 
side. They  were  very  polite,  and  evidently  accustomed 
to  occasional  visits  from  Europeans.  In  more  remote 
parts  of  the  country  similar  visits  are  likely  to  arouse 
some   hostility.      Professor    Littmann,   of    Princeton 

11—2 


164  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

University,  who  spent  seven  months  or  more  in  and 
about  Axum  in  1905-1906  for  the  purpose  of  studying 
inscriptions,  told  me  upon  his  return  that  he  and  his 
party  were  threatened  with  physical  violence,  and  had 
considerable  difficulty  in  carrying  on  their  work, 
although  they  ultimately  succeeded  to  their  satisfaction. 
I  may  say  here  incidentally  that  in  Professor  Litt- 
mann's  opinion  the  true  Abyssinian  type  contains  no 
negro  blood  whatever,  and  none  of  the  negro  qualities, 
either  physical  or  mental. 

The  liturgy  of  the  Abyssinian  Church  is  celebrated 
in  the  Gheze  language,  which  none  but  the  priests 
understand.  While  the  pastors  recite  the  office  in  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  the  defteras  or  lay-readers  sing  hymns 
of  their  own  composition  in  the  outer  public  circle. 
Meanwhile  the  populace  sing  psalms.  Communion  is 
administered  with  both  bread  and  wine.  During  the 
year  four  fasting  periods  are  observed,  the  longest, 
one  of  fifty  days,  preceding  Easter.  During  this  season 
the  use  of  meat,  eggs,  and  milk  is  interdicted,  and 
bread  and  a  pepper  sauce  called  chiro  are  the  chief 
articles  of  diet. 

The  Church  has  its  own  calendar,  and  nobody  seems 
to  have  solved  all  of  its  mysteries.  I  only  know  that 
December  27,  1903,  according  to  our  calendar  was 
December  17,  1896,  at  Addis-Ababa.  My  belief  is 
that  each  Abyssinian  month  has  thirty  days,  and  that 
at  the  end  of  the  year  a  sufficient  number  of  extra 
days  belonging  to  no  particular  month  is  added  on, 
by  which  means  the  total  is  brought  up  to  365  or  366 
days. 

The  Christianity  of  which  my  respected  friend  the 
Abouna  is  the  chief  exponent  was  revealed  to  the 
Abyssinians   in   the   fourth   century,  when  a  Tyrian 


THE  ABYSSINIAN  CHUECH  165 

mercliant  visited  their  Red  Sea  coast,  accompanied  by 

his  sons,  or  perhaps  nephews,  Frumentius  and  Edesius. 

This,  of  course,  was  long  before  the  Moslems  had 

driven  them  back  from  the  sea.   The  exemplary  yomig 

men   Frumentius  and   Edesius  were   pursuing  their 

studies  under  a  tree  while  their  relative's  ship  was 

taking  on  board  water  and  supplies,  and  they  knew 

nothing  of  the  attack  upon  the  others  of  their  party — 

hated  as  Romans  with  whom  the  Abyssinians  were  at 

war — until  it  was  all  over.      The  Ethiopian  King, 

Ela   Ameda,   was   so   struck  by   these  youths,   who 

possessed   all  the  desirable  attributes  of  the  young 

men  of  the  Sunday-school  books,  that  he  caused  them 

to  be  reared  with  his  own  sons.     Edesius  became  a 

cup-bearer   and   Frumentius   treasurer  of  the  State. 

Edesius  eventually  returned  to  Tyre,  but  Frumentius 

remained,  and  profited  by  his  influence  to  introduce 

his  own  religion.     His  great  desire  was  to  win  over  to 

the  Church  the  King  himself — Ela  Ameda  having  been 

succeeded  by  his  son — and  thus  to  become  the  apostle  of 

the  region.     Never  having  received   sacred   Orders, 

Frumentius  found  himself  checked  in  his  purposes, 

and  decided  upon  a  visit  to  Alexandria.   At  Alexandria 

Frumentius  explained  the  ease  with  which  enlightened 

ministers   might   win   over   Ethiopia,  whereupon  St. 

Athanasius   decided   that   Frmnentius  himself  could 

best  propagate  the  faith,  and  thereupon  ordained  him 

priest  and  Bishop  of  Axum. 

The  new  Bishop  returned  to  Ethiopia,  and  imme- 
diately began  the  successful  conquest  of  the  country 
to  Christianity.  Having  received  his  consecration  at 
Alexandria,  Frumentius  and  his  converts  became 
followers  of  the  Alexandrian  or  Coptic  Church,  and 
opponents  of  the  Aryan  heresy.    Constantino's  Council 


166  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

of  Nice  had  recognised  three  patriarchs — the  Bishops 
at  Rome,  Alexandria,  and  Antioch — and  the  Church  of 
Alexandria,  retaining  its  hold  upon  Ethiopia  after  the 
death  of  Frumentius,  is  represented  by  the  Abouna, 
a  sort  of  Papal  Legate,  named  by  the  patriarch.  The 
influence  of  the  patriarch  of  Alexandria,  who  in  our 
time  resides  actually  at  Cairo,  is  now  much  reduced ; 
indeed,  the  only  important  function  of  the  patriarch 
is  to  name  the  succeeding  Abounas.  It  is  not  probable 
that  Abyssinian  Churchmen  are  now  or  ever  have  been 
deeply  concerned  over  the  intricacies  of  dogma  and 
speculative  religion,  yet  it  is  interesting  to  know  that 
their  Church  is  the  most  considerable  body  of  Christians 
professing  monophysitism — that  is  to  say,  that  Christ 
possessed  but  one  nature,  that  of  the  incarnate  word, 
and  that  His  human  body  was  essentially  different 
from  other  human  bodies. 

AVhen  the  monophysite  doctrine  was  condemned  by 
the  Council  of  Chalcedonia,  the  Coptic  and  Ethiopian 
Churches  separated  completely  from  the  Roman 
Church  (a.d.  451),  and  continued  to  teach  that  doctrine 
and  the  right  of  circumcision.  The  Ethiopians  admit 
seven  Sacraments,  pay  homage  to  the  Virgin  and  the 
Saints,  and  have  great  respect  for  the  dead,  the  resur- 
rection, the  last  judgment,  purgatory,  and  other 
features  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Periods  of 
prayer  and  fasting  are  frequent ;  the  latter  is  especially 
rigorous,  involving  even  abstinence  from  eating  eggs. 
Occasional  doctrinal  disputes  arise  in  Ethiopia  as 
elsewhere.  In  1898  a  preacher  maintained  that  the 
Holy  Trinity  really  consisted  of  nine  persons,  but  fifty 
lashes  speedily  brought  him  round  to  the  orthodox 
way  of  thinking. 

The  Abouna,  who  is  also  the  Archbishop  of  Gondar 


THE  ABYSSINIAN  CHUKCH  167 

and  Axum,  has  the  direction  of  a  Guardian  of  the  Tables 
of  the  Law,  priests,  curates,  deacons,  and  scribes,  who 
constitute  the  national  clergy.  Then  to  the  regular 
clergy  may  be  added  monks  of  various  Orders,  and 
likewise  nuns.  A  singular  addition  to  the  Church 
organization  is  the  institution  of  the  Ethiage,  the 
Etchequi^  being  scarcely  less  a  personage  than  the 
Abouna  himself.  It  appears  that  in  the  thirteenth 
century,  when  it  was  decided  that  the  Abouna  should 
always  be  a  stranger,  it  was  also  decided  to  limit  his 
authority  to  matters  spiritual,  and  to  create  an 
Etchequi^  to  administer  the  temporal  affairs  of  the 
Church.  The  wise  men  of  Ethiopia  appear  to  have 
foreseen  exactly  the  compHcations  which  could  arise 
from  foreign  control  both  of  the  spiritual  and  temporal 
affairs  of  the  Church,  as  illustrated  in  recent  develop- 
ments in  France,  and  guarded  themselves  so  carefully 
against  any  possible  foreign  domination  that  to-day 
in  practice  the  Church  is  a  powerful  instrument 
practically  controlled  by  the  Emperor's  Government. 
The  present  Etchequie  is  an  uncle  of  Oualdo  Mikael, 
my  interpreter,  who  pointed  him  out  to  me,  riding 
upon  a  white  mule  with  a  huge  escort,  like  a  general 
of  high  degree. 

As  thus  constituted,  the  Abyssinian  Church,  like 
the  Abyssinian  nation,  has  withstood  all  assaults  from 
without  and  within,  from  its  establishment  until  to- 
day. The  Church  sent  a  delegation  to  the  General 
Council  at  Florence  in  1441,  before  which  the 
Ethiopian  priests,  accepted  as  representatives  of  the 
mythical  Prester  John,  sustained  the  Divine  nature 
of  Christ,  while  the  Latin  Church  maintained  that 
He  possessed  two  natures  in  one.  From  this  incident 
followed  the  curious  adventure  of  the  Portuguese  in 


168  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Ethiopia,  based  upon  the  wish  of  the  Western  King  to 
learn  more  of  this  much-talked-of  Prester  John.  The 
Portuguese  Ambassador  at  Rome  sent  two  delegates 
to  Ethiopia  upon  the  return  of  the  priests  who  had 
attended  the  Council  at  Florence ;  but  they  brought 
back  no  news,  having  found  it  impossible  to  speak 
Arabic  or  any  other  language  known  in  the  country. 
The  attachment  of  Portugal  for  Ethiopia  was  con- 
firmed, however,  and  other  historical  consequences 
followed.  In  1487  John  II.  of  Portugal  sent  forth 
Pedro  de  Covilham  and  Alphonso  de  Paiva  to  find 
a  short  route  to  India.  At  Aden  they  heard  of  a 
Christian  King  in  Abyssinia,  and  although  they  be- 
lieved that  the  real  Prester  John  would  be  found 
in  India,  they  decided  to  take  no  chances,  so  Paiva 
started  for  Ethiopia  to  investigate,  and  Covilham 
continued  towards  India.  Paiva  was  assassinated, 
and  Covilham,  returning  from  India,  penetrated  to 
Ethiopia  from  Zaila.  He  was  received  as  an  Ambas- 
sador, and  all  went  well  until  he  wished  to  leave, 
when  he  found  himself  a  prisoner.  The  Emperor 
at  that  time  placed  such  a  high  value  upon  his  advice 
that  he  made  use  of  a  pretended  law  by  which  a 
stranger  once  having  reached  the  country  might  not 
leave.  Covilham  lived  and  died  in  Ethiopia,  but  was 
permitted  to  correspond  with  his  own  King,  whom 
he  advised  to  secure  an  influence  in  Africa  by  sending 
missionaries  thereto,  who,  being  installed  without 
hope  of  returning,  would  win  over  the  whole  country 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 

The  King  of  Portugal  charged  a  number  of  Jesuit 
missionaries  with  this  task,  and  these  soon  occupied 
aU  the  eminent  posts  in  the  Ethiopian  Church,  to  the 
great  irritation  of  the  less  highly  instructed  native 


THE  ABYSSINIAN  CHUECH  169 

clergy.  Then  came  tlie  invasion  of  Abyssinia  in  1528 
by  tbe  Mohammedans,  who,  under  the  leadership 
of  Mohamed  Gragne,  drove  the  Christians  into  the 
highlands.  Unconquered,  but  driven  back,  cut  off 
from  the  sea,  we  may  say  that  from  that  moment 
the  Abyssinians  were  deprived  of  contact  with  the 
Western  world,  until  the  railroad  from  Djibouti  once 
more  aroused  universal  interest  in  their  country.  In 
this  situation  help  came  from  Portugal,  in  the  form 
of  a  corps  of  500  men  led  by  Christopher  de  Gama. 
Father  Jerome  Lobo  recites  the  valorous  deeds  of 
Christopher  de  Gama,  who  rendered  signal  service 
to  Ethiopia,  but  was  eventually  betrayed  by  a  Turkish 
woman  whose  husband  he  had  killed,  and  who  had 
pretended  to  love  him.  De  Gama  was  horribly  tor- 
tured, but  refused  heroically  to  disclose  the  where- 
abouts of  the  Portuguese,  and  was  finally  decapitated. 
Eventually,  with  the  aid  of  the  Portuguese,  Mohamed 
Gragne  was  himself  killed  and  his  army  destroyed, 
although  the  Abyssinians  have  never  since  recovered 
their  sea-coast  possessions.  Tradition  says  that  the 
Moslem  General  named  the  province  of  Kaffa  the  home 
of  the  coffee-plant,  whence  the  name  we  give  to  the 
beverage.  Reaching  an  impetuous  river  swollen  by 
the  rains,  he  exclaimed,  '  Ne  Kafi  !'  (I  am  afraid),  and 
went  no  further. 

While  these  events  were  taking  place,  the  Jesuits 
sought  to  effect  a  complete  control  of  the  Ethiopian 
Church,  thus  inviting  reaction  against  Portuguese 
influence.  Religious  war  soon  followed,  resulting  in 
the  expulsion  of  the  Catholic  missionaries  in  1632 
under  the  Negus  Facilidas,  since  which  the  Ethiopian 
Church  has  continued  undisturbed  to  maintain  its  own 
doctrines  in  its  own  way. 


170  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

An  affinity  has  been  found  between  the  Ethiopian 
language  and  the  Assyrian.  The  former  belongs 
properly,  however,  to  the  Semitic  domain.  There  is 
also  some  affinity  between  these  tongues  and  the 
ancient  Himyarite,  as  well  as  the  modem  Mahrah,  in 
Arabia.  These  points  of  resemblance  are  especially 
apparent  in  the  Gh^ze,  or  ecclesiastical  language  of 
the  empire.  This,  in  turn,  is  as  closely  allied  to 
the  modem  Court  language,  Amharic,  as  modem 
Italian  is  to  Latin.  Amharic  will,  no  doubt,  dominate 
eventually  throughout  Ethiopia.  The  linguistic  con- 
nection between  the  two  sides  of  the  Red  Sea  seems 
to  agree  with  the  historical  connection.  The  south- 
west portion  of  Arabia  and  Ethiopia  had  during  a 
long  period  an  almost  conunon  history.  The  existing 
monuments  at  Axima  have  a  great  resemblance  to 
those  of  Sanna  and  Mareb.  When  the  migration  from 
the  Yemen  to  Abyssinia  took  place  is  told  only  by 
tradition.  Prior  to  the  introduction  of  Christianity 
the  history  of  Ethiopia  is  a  mere  tissue  of  legends. 
We  only  know  that  the  Abyssinians  in  their  turn 
invaded  the  Yemen  in  528,  and  remained  fifty  years. 
King  Aizanas  styles  himself,  in  the  inscription  at 
Axum,  *  King  of  the  Homerites,  the  Keidans,  and  the 
Ethiopians,  and  of  the  Sabians.' 

The  Gh^ze  resembles  Arabic  and  Hebrew,  but 
the  Amharic,  although  closely  related,  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  derived  directly  therefrom.  After 
the  fourteenth  century  the  Gheze  ceased  to  be  a 
spoken  tongue,  and  to-day,  in  addition  to  its  use 
as  the  ecclesiastical  tongue,  it  is  employed  in  the 
preambles  to  correspondence,  the  body  of  which  is 
Amharic. 

The  literature  of  Ethiopia  is  not  rich,  as  it  consists 


LANGUAGE  AND  LITEBATURE  171 

mainly  of  theological  works,  liturgies,  and  books  of 
the  saints.  The  popular  literature  is  little  known. 
The  only  mention  made  by  Professor  Mondon,  who 
spent  many  years  at  the  Court  of  the  Emperor, 
under  the  head  of  popular  literature  relates  to  the 
funeral  odes  upon  the  death  of  Soubagadis,  and 
certain  satires  upon  the  reign  of  Theodore.  Professor 
Mondon  says  in  his  valuable  little  'Manual'  that 
these  have  a  *  grand  movement,'  and  although  some- 
times incoherent  and  bizarre,  have  a  'noble  Biblical 
aspect.'  He  thinks  that  the  azmaris  or  troubadours, 
whose  melancholy  songs  and  one-stringed  lutes  were 
frequently  heard  about  our  tents,  probably  preserve 
some  early  traditions  that  would  be  interesting  to 
gather. 

The  Amharic  language,  or  modern  Ethiopic,  com- 
prises thirty-three  letters,  each  of  which  has  seven 
distinct  characters,  or  251  characters  in  all,  including 
the  diphthongs.  Each  character  represents  a  syllable. 
The  orthography  is  based  upon  the  pronunciation. 
Greek  or  Coptic  figures  are  used,  although  the  Arabic 
characters  are  now  being  introduced. 

Conversation  invariably  begins  with  a  salutation. 
To  an  inferior  or  to  an  equal  one  would  say,  *  How 
hast  thou  passed  the  night  ?'  or  morning,  or  afternoon, 
as  the  case  might  be.  To  one  of  exalted  station  the 
form  would  be  changed,  the  nuance  being  untranslat- 
able. To  a  woman  still  another  form  of  salutation 
would  be  employed. 

The  Abyssinians  are  extremely  ceremonious.  This 
applies  to  their  speech  and  to  their  correspondence. 
The  protocol  or  beginning  of  their  letters  is  always 
written  in  Gheze.  The  termination  is  as  brief  as  the 
introduction  is  long.     In  the  Abyssinian  writings  no 


172  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

paragraphs  appear,  except  at  the  conclusion  of  letters, 
where  the  phrase  begins  : 

*  Written  at the day  of  the  month of 

the  year  of  grace .' 

Letters  are  not  signed,  the  signature  being  replaced 
by  a  seal.  The  Emperor  begins  his  letters  with  his 
seal.  By  exception,  he  attached  his  seal  to  the 
American  Treaty  at  the  end  of  the  last  page.  The 
following  is  the  manner  in  which  the  Ethiopian  begins 
an  ordinary  letter : 

'May  the  message  of  Atto  Gabrou  reach  Oualdo 
Miriam.  How  are  you  ?  Myself  I  am  well,  thanks  be 
to  God.' 

To  an  inferior  one  would  write  : 

*  May  the  letter  of reach .' 


To  an  European  whom  it  is  desired  to  honour  : 

'  May  this  letter  reach  the  illustrious  and  honoured 
How  are  you  ?     Myself  (may  God  be  honoured 


and  glorified  in  heaven  and  upon  earth)  I  am  well.* 

In  his  letter  to  the  Hon.  David  R.  Francis,  President 
of  the  Louisiana  Exposition,  the  text  of  which  has 
been  given  to  the  newspapers,  and  is  therefore  not 
confidential,  the  Emperor  said  : 

[seal.] 

*  The  Lion  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah  has  conquered. 
Menelik  II.,  by  the  Grace  of  God  King  of  Kings 
of  Ethiopia^  to  the  President  of  the  Exposition  of 
St.  Louis,  greeting. 

*  I  have  received  the  letter  that  you  have  sent  me 
through  Consul-General  Skinner.     I  am  very  happy 


LANGUAGE  AND  LITEEATUEE  173 

to  hear  of  your  good  thought  in  reserving  for  me  in 
your  Exposition  a  space  for  my  country.  I  have  in 
consequence,  and  in  spite  of  the  short  time  which 
remains  to  us,  given  orders  to  collect  specimens  of  the 
products  of  my  country. 

'  I  pray  to  God  that  He  will  aid  you  in  leading  to  a 
good  end  the  great  work  that  you  have  undertaken. 

*  Written  the  seventeenth  day  of  December,  year 
of  grace  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-six,  at  Addis- 
Ababa  '  (corresponding  to  December  27,  1903). 

The  termination  of  a  letter  consists  in  some  ex- 
pressions concerning  the  health  and  the  sacramental 
*  Amen.' 

The  following  is  a  sample  of  Abyssinian  poetry 
taken  from  the  royal  songs  : 

*  The  face  of  His  Majesty  Isaac  resembles  the  gate 
of  Heaven  ;  it  resembles  a  burning  fire  ;  it  resembles 
an  oscillating  balance.  The  face  inspires  terror,  the 
terrible  Isaac. 

'When  thine  eyelids  rise,  who  will  regard  thee 
face  to  face  ?  Thine  eye  will  pierce  like  a  lemon,  and 
will  scald  like  an  onion,  the  body  of  whosoever  will 
regard  thee  face  to  face.'"'-*' 

This  is  an  extract  from  a  funeral  song : 

'  Alas  !  Soubagadis,  the  friend  of  aU, 
Remains  at  Dagga-Choba,  by  the  hands  of  Oubessat. 
Alas  !  Soubagadis,  the  pillar  of  the  poor. 
He  remains   at  Dagga-Choba,  bathed   in  his  own 

blood ; 
The  men  of  the  country  wiU  remain  good, 

*  Translated  from  Professor  Mondon's  JFrench  version. 


174  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Because    they    will    eat    grain    which    will    have 

germinated  in  his  blood. 
In  November,  at  the  Feast  of  St.  Michael,  who  will 

remember 
Marie  has  killed  him  with  five  thousand  Gallas  ? 
Who  will  remember  the  morsel  of  bread  and  the 

glass  of  hydromel  ? 
At  Dagga-Choba  he   is  fallen,  the  friend  of  the 

Christians.'* 

The  opulent  Abyssinian  is  not  born  with  a  silver 
spoon  in  his  mouth,  but  with  a  gun  in  his  hand. 
From  their  earliest  youth  all  classes  and  degrees  of 
the  population  learn  to  handle  a  gun,  and  aspire  to 
own  one,  or  several  if  possible.  To  own  a  gun  is  to 
be  a  man,  and  to  be  a  man  is  to  be  a  soldier.  Ergo, 
the  Ethiopians  are  all  soldiers.  The  imperial  army 
proper  consists  of  active  and  reserve  forces,  to  which 
may  be  added  the  Emperor's  bodyguard,  picked  troops 
constantly  under  arms  at  Addis-Ababa.  Each  Ras 
or  Governor-General  disposes  of  a  corps  of  fighting 
men,  proportioned  to  his  importance.  These  soldiers 
receive  practically  no  pay,  but  are  wholly  supported 
and  armed  by  the  State.  The  active  army  consists  of 
about  200,000  volunteers.  The  territorial,  or  army  of 
reserve,  is  organized  under  the  feudal  system.  Each 
conmaunity  owes  to  the  State,  in  case  of  war,  a  certain 
number  of  soldiers,  equipped,  but  not  armed.  They 
must  assemble  under  the  flag  with  a  mide  or  an  ass, 
and  with  provisions  for  one  month.  Freeholders  may 
hire  substitutes,  and  they  frequently  do  so.  The 
territorial  forces  amount  to  about  200,000  men  also. 
The  Government  is   said   to  possess   about   600,000 

*  Translated  from  Professor  Mondon's  French  version. 


THE  AEMY  175 

rifles,  although  some  assert  that  the  number  does  not 
exceed  300,000.  Individual  soldiers  do  not  appear  to 
know  how  to  keep  their  weapons  in  proper  condition. 
They  include  all  the  best  marks,  such  as  the  Gras, 
Berdan,  and  Lee-Metford.  Supplies  are  distributed 
throughout  the  Empire,  and  the  army  can  be  mobilized 
as  readily,  probably,  as  any  other  in  the  world. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  war  the  heralds  of  the 
Negus,  or  Emperor,  read  out  a  proclamation  in  the 
market-places  after  the  beating  of  the  negarit,  or  great 
war-drum.  The  herald  stands  upon  the  drum,  with 
lance  and  mantle  held  by  a  slave  at  his  side.  The 
call  to  arms  is  obeyed  partly  from  discipline,  but 
largely  from  custom  and  love  of  war,  with  its  attendant 
excitement.  While  stores  are  transported  for  a  limited 
period  the  army  expects  to  live  off  the  country  through 
which  it  passes.  The  forces  are  accompanied  by 
perhaps  20  per  cent,  of  their  own  number  of  women, 
slaves,  and  camp-followers.  When  an  encampment  is 
determined  upon,  the  red  tent  of  the  Negus  is  first  set 
up,  and  surrounded  by  those  of  his  four  great  chiefs 
— ^that  is  to  say,  the  Dedjasmatch,  or  chief  of 
corps  ;  the  Kagnazmatch,  or  General  of  the  right ;  the 
Grasmatch,  or  General  of  the  left ;  and  the  Fitaurari, 
or  General  of  the  advance-guard.  The  rank  and  file 
arrange  themselves  as  best  they  can,  and  in  case  a 
stay  is  decided  upon  a  market  is  opened.  Women 
and  children  abound,  and  the  accustomed  family  life 
is  resumed. 

At  Adowa,  before  the  great  battle,  the  Emperor's 
camp  comprised  three  concentric  circles.  His  own 
tent  and  that  of  the  Empress  were  placed  in  the 
centre  of  the  first  circle,  with  the  immediate  personnel 
of  the  Emperor  on  the  left,  and  that  of  the  Empress 


176  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

on  the  right.  The  kitchens  were  behind  the  imperial 
tents.  Around  the  stockade  enclosing  this  camp  stood 
the  soldiers  of  the  bodyguard.  In  the  second  circle 
were  the  tents  of  the  various  Rases ;  the  Dadjazmatch,or 
chief  of  corps  ;  the  Affa-Negus,  or  *  breath  of  the  King ' ; 
the  Abouna,  or  head  of  the  Church.  Finally,  in  the 
third  circle  were  the  tents  of  the  Kagnazmatch,  or 
General  of  the  right ;  the  Grasmatch,  or  General  of  the 
left ;  and  the  Fitaurari,  or  General  of  the  advance-guard. 

Captain  Moltado,  an  Italian  soldier  who  participated 
in  the  late  war,  and  was  afterwards  kept  as  a  hostage, 
in  describing  Menelik's  army  on  the  march  on 
January  31,  1896,  said  : 

*  They  did  not  consist  of  fighting  men  only ;  there 
were  women,  grandfathers,  lame  people,  babies,  priests, 
lepers — every  kind  of  individual.  "It  is  not  an  army," 
said  Paoletti  to  me  at  the  moment,  "it  is  an  invasion, 
the  transplanting  of  a  whole  people."  They  were  all 
crowded  one  on  to  the  other,  amidst  donkeys,  mules, 
horses,  in  the  same  track.  ^Vhen,  owing  to  the  arrival 
of  some  chief,  they  were  obliged  to  make  way,  they 
threw  themselves  indifferently  to  the  right  or  the  left.' 

The  usual  custom  of  the  Abyssinian  army  is  to 
advance  in  a  half-moon  formation,  each  man  fighting 
with  more  or  less  personal  initiative.  They  are  fair 
marksmen,  and  probably  would  be  better  but  for  a 
tendency  to  get  their  rifle  sights  out  of  order.  When 
the  battle  becomes  hot,  and  the  final  rush  is  made, 
sword  and  lance  come  into  play,  and  the  war-cries  of 
the  ancient  kingdoms  are  raised.  *  Together,  together !' 
cry  the  Choans.  'God  pardon  us,  Christ!'  cry  the 
Godjamites.  The  Gallas,  lowest  in  the  social  scale, 
repeat  twice,  'Slay,  slay!'  The  troubadours  also  go 
into  the  fight,  improvising  such  songs  as  this  : 


THE  AEMY  177 

*  Brothers,  are  ye  hungry,  are  ye  thirsty  ?  Oh, 
true  sons  of  my  mother,  are  ye  not  birds  of  prey  ? 
Forward  !     Behold  the  flesh  of  your  enemy  ! 

'  And  I  will  be  a  carver  of  your  feast.  Forward  ! 
If  ye  lack  hydromel,  I  will  give  ye  my  blood  to  drink.' 

Herbert  Vivian,  the  writer  of  an  English  book  on 
Abyssinia,  says  :  '  If  Menelik  were  imprudent  enough 
to  quarrel  with  us,  we  could  invade  him  from  the 
Soudan  at  any  moment,  and  in  one  year,  or  certainly 
two,  could  annex  and  reorganize  his  dominions.'  This 
is  perfectly  absurd  as  a  statement  of  military  possi- 
bility. The  war  in  Somaliland,  which  lasted  over  a 
year,  is  quite  enough  to  suggest  that  war  with 
Ethiopia  would  be  not  only  very  costly,  but  very  long. 
Our  own  limited  experience  permitted  us  to  draw  some 
inferences  respecting  the  relative  mobility  of  Ethiopian 
and  Anglo-Saxon  soldiery  in  Africa.  For  our  own 
small  party  of  twenty-eight  men,  who  carried  their 
own  haversacks,  we  also  transported  approximately 
two  and  a  half  tons  of  camp  equipage  of  the  regula- 
tion sort.  We  were  continually  held  back  by  our 
supply  train.  Among  other  effects,  our  men  had  a 
heavy  cast-iron  stove,  which  was  freighted  laboriously 
from  place  to  place,  and  the  presence  of  the  stove 
seemed  to  be  essential  to  the  preparation  of  a  satis- 
factory meal.  Our  niunerous  Ethiopian  servants  and 
native  soldiers  carried  nothing,  except  a  few  sheet- 
iron  pots  and  pans,  and  when  they  had  made  camp, 
they  had  their  fires  going  and  their  dinner  cooking  in 
a  marvellously  short  space  of  time. 

Our  officers'  mess,  which  was  independent  of  that 
of  the  men,  was  provided  for  by  one  Mohamed,  an 
excellent  cook,  who  required  no  stove  at  all,  but  was 
ready  to  begin  his  culinary  operations  so  soon  as  he  had 

12 


178  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

foimd  three  roimd  stones,  between  which  he  would 
start  a  diminutive  fire.  This  Mohamed  would  rise  at 
three  o'clock,  prepare  coffee  and  hash  or  some  other 
palatable  dish,  and  be  off  on  foot  with  the  advance- 
guard,  followed  by  one  small  mule  carrying  his  pots 
and  pans.  He  would  cover  his  twenty  or  twenty-five 
miles  a  day  without  a  murmur,  and  on  foot,  the  most  of 
the  time  under  an  equatorial  sun,  and  upon  his  arrival 
at  the  rendezvous  would  find  his  three  round  stones 
as  usual,  and  upon  them  create  for  our  sustenance 
nightly  a  soup,  two  meat  dishes  and  one  vegetable 
dish,  and  tea. 

Mobility  apart,  there  is,  of  course,  no  comparison 
between  native  and  European  soldiery,  but  in  Africa 
this  one  quality  is  worth  almost  more  than  all  others 
combined ;  and  when  added  to  moderate  fighting 
efficiency,  the  conclusion  is  irresistible  that  a  united 
Abyssinia  would  be  able  to  resist  indefinitely  any 
ordinary  attempt  to  break  down  an  independence 
which  has  withstood  assault  successfully  from  every 
invasion,  except  that  by  Arab  arms  under  Mohamed 
Gragne  ;  and,  of  course,  the  Arabs  followed  about  the 
same  methods  as  the  Ethiopians.  If  independent 
Abyssinia  falls,  that  contingency  is  most  likely  to 
result  from  dissensions  among  the  Abyssinians  them- 
selves. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

The  Caucasians  of  Cush 

These  pages  do  not  pretend,  of  course,  to  deal  witli 
Ethiopian  history,  except  very  incidentally,  yet  even  this 
account  of  my  own  journey,  and  of  existing  institutions 
brought  to  my  attention  in  one  way  or  another,  would 
be  to  some  extent  incomprehensible  without  reference 
to  the  most  interesting  tradition  of  the  empire — that  is 
to  say,  the  tradition  according  to  which  Menelik  11.  is 
a  descendant  of  King  Solomon  of  old.  Now,  it  is  a 
perfectly  patent  fact  to  all  observers  that  the  Abyssinian 
people  are  of  Jewish  ancestry.  It  is  perfectly  estab- 
lished that  the  present  religion  has  been  grafted  upon 
a  root  of  Judaism,  which  itself  displaced  polytheism 
and  idolatry  fifteen  centuries  before  Christ.  We  know 
that  there  are  at  present  in  the  country  several  colonies 
of  Jews,  called  Falashas,  or  exiles,  which  have  been 
in  existence  for  many  centuries ;  that  these  Jews 
possess  the  Old  Testament  in  the  Gh^ze  language, 
a  volmne  of  extracts  from  the  Pentateuch,  with  com- 
ments given  to  Moses  by  God,  the  Sabbatical  laws, 
a  book  of  secrets  revealed  to  twelve  saints,  to  be 
used  as  a  charm  against  disease,  and  a  translation  of 
Josephus.  They  reject  the  Talmud  and  its  commen- 
taries. This  people  regard  a  house  as  inhabitable 
until  the  blood  of  a  sheep  or  goat  has  been  spilt  within 

179  12 — 2 


180  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

it,  and  their  priests  may  marry  once,  but  not  a  second 
time.  Consequently,  when  we  consider  the  proximity 
of  Ethiopia  to  Judea,  in  connection  with  the  known 
facts  as  to  Jewish  influence  in  Ethiopia,  we  find  a 
sufficient  basis  of  proof  to  clothe  the  tradition  with 
an  atmosphere  of  extreme  probability. 

We  all  remember  how  the  Queen  of  Sheba  went 
down  to  the  land  of  Judea  to  see  Solomon.  Abyssinian 
tradition  recognises  our  Queen  of  Sheba  as  Makeda, 
Queen  of  Ethiopia,  born  1020  B.C.,  and  placed  upon 
the  throne  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  Her  title  of  Queen 
of  Sheba,  according  to  M.  J.  Mori^,  who  has  gone  into 
this  matter  with  a  more  solemn  enthusiasm  than  any 
other  writer  to  my  knowledge,  appears  to  come  from 
that  of  Queen  of  Hasaba  (Queen  of  the  South).  He 
thinks  that  Saba  (Sheba)  is  a  corruption  of  the  name 
of  Hasaba,  and  that  the  adventures  of  this  Queen  have 
been  confused  with  those  of  Balkis,  Queen  of  Saba  in 
Arabia,  who,  perhaps,  became  also  a  wife  of  Solomon 
in  due  time.  Inasmuch  as  Solomon  managed  to 
have  700  wives,  not  to  mention  300  concubines,  the 
convictions  of  M.  J.  Morid  are  entitled  to  a  good  deal 
of  respect,  all  the  more  particularly  because  his  belief 
coincides  perfectly  with  the  prevailing  belief  in 
Abyssinia,  where  historical  incidents  have  been  handed 
from  father  to  son  for  hundreds  of  years  with  remark- 
able fidelity  to  fact.  At  all  events,  there  was  certainly 
a  Makeda,  Queen  of  Ethiopia,  who  governed  wisely 
and  well,  at  a  period  when  the  glory  of  Solomon  was 
known  throughout  the  world. 

One  of  Solomon's  Generals,  Boulboul  by  name,  had 
visited  the  Ethiopian  Makeda  in  her  capital,  and  gave 
the  wise  King  such  a  glowing  account  of  her  beauty 
that  he  resolved  to  send  an  embassy  to  her  seat  of 


THE  CAUCASIANS  OF  CUSH  181 

government.  Boulboul  was  charged  with  this  mission, 
and  M.  Mori^  declares  that  he  bore  a  letter  written  in 
these  terms  : 

'  In  the  name  of  God,  clement  and  merciful. 
Solomon,  servitor  of  God  and  son  of  David,  to  Makeda, 
Queen  of  the  South.  Let  peace  be  with  him  who 
follows  the  light.  Harden  not  thyself  against  me. 
Come  and  see  me,  and  believe.' 

The  letter  was  perfumed  with  musk  and  sealed 
with  the  royal  seal.  Notwithstanding  which,  Makeda 
declined  at  first  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  sending  instead 
to  Solomon  1,000  slaves,  gold,  spices,  and  amber. 
Solomon  did  not  wish  to  accept  the  gifts,  and  he 
returned  the  Ambassador,  with  the  information  that 
an  army  would  be  coming  soon  to  humiliate  the  Queen's 
bad  advisers.  Then  Makeda  decided  to  go  to  Jeru- 
salem to  see  Solomon,  or,  as  the  Bible  puts  it,  to  prove 
him  with  hard  questions. 

The  famous  Queen  had  reigned  twenty-five  years, 
and  was  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  her  remarkable 
beauty.  It  was  not  astonishing  that  she  should  desire 
to  see  the  most  famous  ruler  of  her  time.  She  departed 
with  great  pomp,  and  entered  Jerusalem  mounted 
upon  a  mule,  with  a  large  retinue,  and  followed  by 
camels  bearing  presents  of  gold  and  precious  stones. 
She  was  received  by  the  King,  who  attended  her  in  an 
apartment  decorated  with  crystal  from  ceiling  to  floor. 
Solomon  had  arranged  for  her  a  throne  similar  to  the 
one  she  had  left  behind,  constructed  of  silver  and  gold, 
ornamented  with  rubies  and  emeralds.  Under  the 
crystal  floor  could  be  seen  a  running  brook  fiUed  with 
rare  fish,  and  so  cunningly  was  it  all  contrived  that 
the  Queen  believed  herself  about  to  cross  a  stream, 
and  lifted  up  her  skirt.     Makeda  came  prepared  to 


182  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

admire,  but  what  she  saw  surpassed  every  idea  which 
she  had  ever  entertained.  She  was  particularly  flat- 
tered by  the  delicate  attentions  showered  upon  her  by 
a  monarch  whose  keen  wit  she  was  able  to  appreciate. 
One  of  the  favourite  diversions  of  the  Queen  was  the 
posing  of  enigmas,  which  the  King  answered  with 
extraordinary  readiness.  Witnessing  the  wisdom  and 
the  munificence  of  Solomon,  Makeda  exclaimed  to  the 
King :  *  This  that  I  see  of  you  surpasses  the  renown 
which  had  reached  me  in  my  home.  Blessed  be  your 
God,  who  has  placed  His  affection  in  you,  and  who  has 
made  you  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Israel !'  Rich 
presents  were  exchanged,  and  several  months  after 
Makeda  returned  into  her  kingdom,  leading  with  her 
Azariah,  son  of  the  great  preacher  Sadok,  and 
12,000  Jews — that  is  to  say,  1,000  from  each  tribe — • 
commanded  by  twelve  judges. 

This  journey  resulted  in  the  negotiation  of  a  treaty 
of  commerce,  in  which  the  port  of  Mascat  is  mentioned  ; 
it  also  permitted  Solomon  to  secure  from  Choa  many 
beautiful  horses,  and  enabled  the  Kings  of  Christian 
Abyssinia  later  on  to  declare  themselves  cousins  of 
Christ,  Himself  also  born  of  the  race  of  David. 

Solomon  on  his  side  had  not  been  insensible  to  the 
charms  of  the  beautiful  Queen,  and  Makeda  responded 
with  an  equal  affection.  The  result  of  this  mutual 
admiration  was  the  birth  of  Makeda's  son  Menelik. 
The  Oriental  tradition  declares  that  Solomon,  struck 
by  the  beauty  of  Makeda,  vainly  besieged  the  fortress 
of  her  affections.  At  length,  irritated  by  her  resist- 
ance, he  resorted  to  strategy.  He  made  her  swear 
to  become  one  of  his  wives,  apparently  a  relationship 
of  a  temporary  character,  on  condition  that  he  could 
prove  that  she  had  stolen  something  from  him.     The 


THE  CAUCASIANS  OF  CUSH  183 

Queen,  confident  of  the  honesty  of  her  intentions, 
laughingly  made  the  oath.  Some  days  later  Solomon 
served  a  highly-spiced  dinner,  during  which  neither 
wine  nor  water  were  offered  until  the  dessert  was 
brought  on,  when  strong  liqueurs,  served  in  small 
quantities,  were  passed  among  the  guests.  Makeda, 
burning  with  thirst,  increased  by  the  alcoholic 
liqueurs  served  to  her,  profited  by  a  moment  of  in- 
attention, more  apparent  than  real,  to  hold  her  glass 
under  a  jet  of  water  playing  in  a  fountain  near  the 
table.  Solomon,  who  watched  her  every  movement, 
accused  her  of  theft,  and  the  Ethiopian  Queen,  pre- 
pared to  capitulate  in  any  event,  now  readily  consented 
to  the  entreaties  of  Solomon. 

The  child  Menelik,  bom  as  Makeda  journeyed  back 
to  Ethiopia,  remained  with  his  mother  until  he  became 
of  sufficient  age  to  go  himself  to  Jerusalem,  where  he 
was  instructed  by  wise  men  and  profited  by  the  lessons 
of  Solomon  himsel£  Thus  Menelik  passed  several 
years  at  Jerusalem,  and  when  arrived  at  the  age  of 
manhood  he  was  anointed  and  consecrated  as  King  of 
Abyssinia  in  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  under  the  name 
of  David,  and  returned  to  his  mother  in  the  year  964. 
Numerous  Jews  and  Phoenician  artists  accompanied 
Menelik  upon  his  return  to  his  kingdom.  M.  Morie, 
who  recounts  these  events,  declares  that,  in  case  of  the 
reconstitution  of  an  independent  Jewish  State,  an 
Abyssinian  Negus,  a  direct  descendant  of  Solomon, 
and  who  bears  the  title  of  King  of  Sion  and  of  Israel, 
is  already  indicated  as  the  Sovereign  for  the  new 
kingdom. 

It  is  said  that  Solomon  caused  copies  of  the  Ark  of 
the  Covenant  and  of  the  Tables  of  the  Law  to  be 
prepared  for  his  son  Menelik,  which  were  so  like  the 


184  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

originals  that  Azariah,  son  of  Sadok,  who  was  with 
Menelik  when  he  set  out  for  Abyssinia,  succeeded  in 
substituting  the  copies  for  the  originals.  The  sub- 
stitution, either  accidental  or  intentional,  was  not 
discovered  until  too  late,  and  Azariah  deposited  the 
precious  relics  in  the  church  at  Axum.  It  is  pretended 
— perhaps  one  should  not  insist  upon  the  evidence — 
that  one  of  these  original  Tables  of  the  Law  is  guarded 
and  venerated  at  Axum  until  this  very  day. 

From  the  time  of  Solomon  we  find  that  the  list 
of  Kings  of  Abyssinia  contains  many  Jewish  names, 
and  there  is  enough  in  favour  of  the  Ethiopian  claim 
of  the  present  Menelik's  direct  descent  to  make  it  quite 
comprehensible.  As  for  the  tradition  in  regard  to  the 
Queen  of  Sheba,  I  hope  that  no  historian  will  come 
along  to  demolish  it  with  proofs  of  incontestable 
authenticity. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Trade  and  commerce — Agriculture — The  home  of  coffee — 
Economic  development. 

The  practical  question  whether  it  has  been  worth 
while  to  establish  friendly  relations  with  Ethiopia  has 
been  answered  already  to  some  extent  in  the  course  of 
an  explanation  in  regard  to  the  motives  which  prompted 
the  organization  of  the  expedition.  The  present  total 
amount  of  foreign  trade  of  Ethiopia  is  not  great.  Ex- 
ports and  imports  united  give  a  total  of  frs.  12,000,000 
($2,316,000),  of  which  the  share  of  America  amounts 
to  $1,389,600,  a  sum  more  flattering  to  the  national 
vanity  by  its  relative  proportions  than  by  its  intrinsic 
importance.  Of  this  total  trade,  American  cotton 
goods  come  in  for  frs.  3,000,000  ($579,000),  and  on 
the  exporting  side  we  receive  in  the  United  States, 
from  Abyssinia  and  Somaliland  together,  skins  and 
hides  to  the  value  of  frs.  3,500,000  ($675,000),  and 
coffee  to  the  value  of  frs.  700,000  ($135,100). 

No  officially  established  statistical  tables  will  sup- 
port these  facts,  as  our  cumbersome  American  habit 
of  importing  and  exporting  through  numerous  middle- 
men has  the  effect  of  confusing  the  true  state  of  trade 
with  the  total  returns  of  Aden,  London,  and  Liverpool. 
However  gratifying  may  be  the  actualities  of  Ethiopian 
commerce  with  the  United  States,  we  naturally  look  to 

185 


186  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

the  future  to  develop  a  now  non-existent  commerce  of 
really  important  volume.  Whether  that  development 
will  take  place  depends  upon  such  a  variety  of  circum- 
stances that  it  would  be  useless  to  dwell  long  upon 
them  here.  The  two  great  obstacles  to  the  increase 
of  American  trade  at  present  are — 

(1)  The  absence  of  American  navigation  lines  assur- 
ing rapid,  direct,  and  cheap  transportation ;  and 

(2)  The  absence  of  American  business  firms  in 
Ethiopia  capable  of  representing  our  interests. 

In  this  connection  I  may  quote  the  following  extracts 
from  a  private  letter  addressed  to  me  by  an  acquaint- 
ance, and  received  since  my  return  : 

'  At  this  moment  a  German  commercial  movement 
seems  to  be  taking  form.  The  repeated  visits  of  German 
merchants  announces  this  movement  as  serious.*  We 
must  avow  the  superiority  of  these  people  as  commercial 
travellers.  The  son  of  Mohamed  Aboubaker  said  to  me : 
"  Since  the  cotton  cloths  are  so  cheap  in  America,  why 
does  no  American  come  here  to  sell  to  us  ?  He  would 
make  a  fortune  quickly."  This  is  also  my  own  opinion. 
This  is  a  country  where  one  sees  only  the  tangible 
things.  In  my  humble  view,  a  simple  warehouse  or 
store  at  Dire-Daouah  would  do  more  for  American 
trade  than  all  the  Expositions  put  together.  It  would 
soon  become  known  throughout  Abyssinia.' 

The  Abyssinia  of  to-day  is  one  of  the  few  remaining 
lands  of  romance  and  adventure — a  land  of  grave  faces, 
elaborate  courtesy,  classic  togas,  and  Biblical  civiliza- 
tion.    Gibbon  said  that,  *  encompassed  by  the  enemies 

*  This  was  written  within  a  few  weeks  after  my  own  return. 
Since  then  a  German  official  mission  has  been  received  in 
Abyssinia,  and  several  German  private  parties  have  likewise 
visited  the  country. 


^TEADE  AND  COMMEECE  187 

of  their  religion,  tlie  Ethiopians  slept  for  near  one 
thousand  years,  forgetful  of  the  world,  by  whom  they 
were  forgotten.'  They  were  cut  off  from  communica- 
tion with  the  over-sea  Christians  by  a  belt  of  lowland, 
inhabited  by  savage  tribes,  with  whom  they  were  con- 
stantly at  war.  These  tribes  have  now  been  brought 
under  subjection,  regular  trade  routes  have  been 
opened,  and  the  isolation  of  the  past  is  over.  The 
present  generation  will  probably  Hve  to  know  whether 
or  not  this  population,  which  has  kept  alive  its  faith 
and  its  traditions  through  2,000  years,  is  capable  of 
advancing  to  our  Western  standards. 

When  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  the  Emperor  Menelik's 
pseudo-ancestor,  went  down  to  see  Solomon  and  to 
prove  him  with  questions,  she  took  with  her  presents 
of  spices  and  gems  and  gold.  There  are  still  spices 
and  gems  and  gold  in  Ethiopia.  The  perfumes  of 
Araby  the  blessed  blow  also  over  Ethiopia.  The  gems 
we  saw  were  scattered  over  the  desert  waste,  washed 
down  from  the  mountains  above.  There  were  quartzes 
of  all  kinds  and  colours.  M.  E.  Lebertois,  a  hospitable 
friend  of  Dir^-Daouah,  who  goes  about  the  country 
with  a  little  hammer,  and  who  has  shelves  and  shelves 
filled  with  his  specimens,  has  shown  me  crystals  which 
he  says  suggest  diamonds,  and  he  has  also  specimens 
pointing  to  rubies,  opals,  and  emeralds.  As  for  copper, 
iron,  and  the  ordinary  ores,  their  extraction  is  merely 
a  question  of  finding  facilities  for  shipment,  and, 
probably  more  important  still,  a  market  capable  of 
absorbing  them. 

Gold  is  hidden  away  in  the  mountains  in  quantities 
which  can  be  estimated  by  no  existing  data.  Even 
now  the  annual  production  of  gold,  by  methods  as  old 
as  Moses,  amounts  to  probably  $500,000.     We  bought 


188  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

specimens  of  this  native  gold,  and  it  is  a  trade 
regularly  followed  by  a  numerous  class  of  merchants. 
The  Emperor  is  a  wise  man  in  his  generation,  and  is 
currently  believed  to  regard  as  considerably  less  im- 
portant the  development  of  the  gold  deposits  of  the 
empire  than  the  cultivation  of  his  fertile  tablelands. 
My  interpreter  told  me  that  his  late  *  master,'  M.  Com- 
boul,  had  discovered  petroleum  in  large  quantities, 
and  that  the  Emperor  had  all  M.  Comboul's  carefully 
prepared  reports.  The  development  of  this  and  other 
resources  is  for  the  relatively  distant  future,  when  not 
only  the  one  railroad  now  building,  but  others  only 
dreamt  of,  shall  have  been  constructed. 

Actually,  the  hope  of  the  country  depends  upon 
agriculture.  Surely  a  bountiful  Providence  has  smiled 
upon  these  children  of  Africa.  It  has  given  them  a 
climate  and  a  soil  which  produce  two,  and  even  three, 
crops  per  year.  Nearly  every  grain  can  be  grown  in 
Ethiopia  that  will  grow  anywhere.  The  climate  is 
salubrious,  and  the  heat  not  oppressive.  The  rainy 
season  is  by  no  means  severe.  In  the  low  valleys 
malarial  influences  prevail  before  and  after  the  rainy 
season,  but,  generally  speaking,  the  country  is  healthy. 
In  the  highlands  the  cold  becomes  intense  at  night. 
There  are  three  seasons — the  cold  from  October  to 
February,  the  hot  from  March  to  June  15,  and  the 
wet  from  June  16  to  September  30.  The  wet  season 
equalizes  the  temperature,  increases  fertiUty,  and  plays 
an  important  part  in  the  annual  overflow  of  the  Nile. 
During  the  wet  season  violent  storms  are  of  daily  occur- 
rence. They  burst  out  usually  at  night,  and  in  a  few 
hours  dry  beds  become  torrents,  which  subside  as 
quickly  as  they  arise.  In  January  there  is  a  season 
of  '  little  rains.*     The  result  of  this  distribution  of  the 


AGBICULTUEE  189 

water  is  tliat  verdure  springs  up  like  magic  twice 
a  year,  to  fatten  the  millions  of  sleek  zebus  with 
immense  horns — the  sacred  cows  of  the  menagerie. 

The  agricultural  implements  employed  are  of  the 
most  elementary  type.  The  plough  is  a  mere  crooked 
stick,  the  point  which  enters  the  ground  being  some- 
times covered  with  iron.  It  cuts  the  soil,  but  does  not 
turn  a  furrow. 

The  empire  as  a  whole  rises  from  a  low  and  arid 
district  bordering  on  the  Red  Sea,  and  consists  of 
a  series  of  tablelands,  broken  by  mountain  ranges. 
These  tablelands  have  from  6,000  to  9,000  feet  of 
altitude.  The  mountains  reach  from  12,000  to  13,000 
feet,  and  in  Siemen  some  peaks  are  said  to  be  15,000 
feet  above  the  sea-level.  For  agricultural  purposes 
the  empire  may  be  divided  into  four  zones.  The 
highest  zone,  the  altitude  of  which  is  above  7,500  feet, 
is  formed  of  plateaux  broken  by  mountains,  which  are 
frequently  crowned  by  still  other  tablelands.  Here  the 
temperature  varies,  but  rarely  goes  above  17°  C.  The 
highest  portion  of  this  zone  is  poor  in  all  respects. 
Except  for  a  little  barley  and  wheat,  nothing  is  cul- 
tivated. The  lower  portions  are  thickly  wooded  with 
large  trees.  Here  grows  the  famous  cousso,  from 
which  the  well-known  taenifuge  is  obtained.  As  the 
Ethiopians  are  fond  of  a  diet  of  raw  meat,  which  is 
presumed  to  give  rise  to  taenia,  the  tree  is  reaUy  in- 
dispensable to  their  peace  of  mind  and  body. 

The  middle  agricultural  zone  varies  in  altitude  from 
4,500  to  7,500  feet.  The  temperature  varies  from 
14°  to  30°  C.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  virgin  forests, 
rich  pasture-lands,  and  torrential  streams.  It  is  the 
finest  part  of  the  country. 

The  inferior  zone,  or  Koualla,  is  watered  by  large 


190  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

streams,  whicli  lose  themselves  in  tlie  sand  before  they 
reach  the  coast,  and  is  subject  to  no  important  agricul- 
tural exploitation  other  than  stock-raising. 

Finally,  the  desert  zone  is  reached,  through  which 
flows  the  Hawash  River,  tracing  a  green  ribbon  of 
radiant  verdure  across  its  arid  steppes.  Here  the  sun 
is  very  strong.  The  temperature  reaches  75°  C.  in  the 
sun,  and  never  descends  below  22*9°  C.  Yet  even  in 
this  so-called  desert  zone,  when  the  water  does  reach 
it,  like  our  south-western  deserts,  it  becomes  at  once 
productive  in  the  highest  degree. 

The  empire  suffices  unto  itself  agriculturally  at 
present,  but  it  also  possesses  great  interest  to  the  out- 
side world,  not  merely  by  reason  of  its  possibilities, 
but  because  of  its  present  importance  as  a  coffee- 
growing  centre. 

The  story  of  the  introduction  of  coffee  into  the 
great  world  is  interesting.  The  Arab  historians  relate 
that  the  Caid  Omar  Djidda,  a  resident  of  the  Arabian 
Yemen,  fell  gravely  iU.  A  holy  marabout,  by  name 
Sidi  Ahrem  Ahman,  advised  him  to  drink  an  infusion 
from  the  fruit  of  a  plant  which  grew  among  a  black 
people  far  beyond  the  sea.  The  holy  man  left  Arabia, 
and  after  an  absence  of  one  year  in  Ethiopia,  he 
returned,  bringing  back  the  seeds  of  the  coffee-plant, 
with  which  he  cured  the  Caid.  The  Caid  then  pro- 
posed to  cultivate  the  plant  in  Arabia,  which  deter- 
mination proved  that  the  Caid  had  a  capable  head  for 
business,  as  Arabian  coffee  retains  to  this  day  such 
prestige  that  the  Harrar  coffee,  which  is  said  to  be 
the  original  Moka,  and  quite  as  good,  if  not  better, 
is  industriously  mixed  at  Aden  with  the  Moka  of 
Arabia,  or,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  is  sold  as  Moka 
without  any  mixing  at  all. 


THE  HOME  OF  COFFEE  191 

The  Ethiopian  tradition  respecting  coffee  differs 
from  the  Arabian.  At  Harrar  they  say  that  coffee 
really  came  into  Ethiopia  from  the  Orient,  having 
been  brought  thither  by  one  Zis  Kameer,  a  companion 
of  the  Wandering  Jew.  Still  others  say  that  Amir 
Nour,  who  swept  through  the  country  with  fire  and 
sword  421  years  ago,  brought  his  coffee  with  him  from 
Arabia.  But  if  he  did  so,  his  Arabian  coffee  might 
very  likely  have  been  traced  back  to  its  original  habitat 
in  Abyssinia. 

The  weight  of  testimony  seems  to  be  in  favour  of 
Ethiopia  as  the  original  home  of  the  coffee-plant. 
There  are  in  the  country  to-day  two  distinct  types  of 
coffee.  There  is  the  famous  long-berry,  remarkable 
for  its  lengthened  form,  and  there  is  the  coffee  imported 
at  Harrar  directly  from  the  province  of  Kaffa.  The 
difference  between  these  types  is  such  that  M.  Eugene 
Carette,  who  practises  medicine  and  studies  agriculture 
at  Dird-Daouah,  reaches  this  conclusion  :  *  It  is  natural 
to  believe  that  the  first  variety  has  developed 
from  an  importation  from  Arabia,  and  that  the 
changes  of  climate  have  distinguished  it  from  its 
prototype.' 

The  Kaffa  bean  has  also  deviated  from  its  original 
type,  but,  not  having  the  fineness  and  aroma  of  the 
long-berry  or  Moka,  may  be  presumed  to  spring  from 
indigenous  stock.  The  two  coffee  types  tend  to  mix 
in  consequence  of  successive  hybridization.  The  veiy 
word  '  coffee '  carries  confirmation  of  the  idea  that 
the  original  home  of  the  plant  is  the  province  of  Kaffa. 
The  present  exportation  of  coffee  from  Ethiopia 
amounts  to  $814,000  annually. 

Now  that  all  the  world  is  talking  about  cotton- 
growing,  it  is  worth  while  noting  that  cotton  has  been 


192  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

grown  in  Ethiopia  for  many  years,  the  product  being 
manufactured  in  the  country.  This  fact  has  inspired 
half  a  dozen  French  cultivators  to  undertake  cotton- 
growing  upon  a  large  scale,  and  while  it  is  very  early 
to  pronounce  upon  their  work,  they  have  had  such, 
success  that  others  are  about  to  copy  them,  and 
systematic  efforts  will  doubtless  be  put  forth  to  make 
Ethiopia  an  important  cotton-growing  region.  M. 
Carette  tells  me  that  he  rather  thinks  that  Ethiopia 
sent  cotton  to  Egypt  in  prehistoric  times,  and  that 
the  sweet  cotton,  or  tout,  and  the  hard  cotton,  or 
fate,  are  both  native  plants.  He  adds,  too,  that 
American  seed  has  been  imported  into  the  country  by 
way  of  the  Soudan,  to  which  it  was  carried  by  the 
modern  Egyptians.  The  crop  of  Ethiopian  cotton 
is  wholly  manufactured  in  the  country.  It  is  woven 
upon  hand-looms  into  beautifully  soft  and  silky  fabrics 
made  up  in  strips  with  wide  red  borders  at  both  ends, 
and  sold  as  chammas.  These  chammas  have  been 
worn  for  centuries,  so  the  cotton  industry  in  Africa 
may  be  said  to  antedate  that  of  America  by  an  in- 
calculable period. 

It  is  one  of  the  oddities  of  trade  that  an  article 
manufactured  in  the  country  of  domestic  material  is 
also  the  principal  article  of  import.  Our  cheap 
American  sheetings  have  become  an  article  of  prime 
necessity  in  spite  of  domestic  manufactures.  Owing 
to  the  numerous  hands  through  which  our  products 
pass  before  they  reach  the  final  consumer,  a  piece  of 
goods  thirty  yards  in  length,  the  cost  of  which  is 
87  cents  delivered  in  Abyssinia,  reaches  the  petty 
merchants  at  prices  varying  from  $1*95  to  $2*70. 
These  goods  are  sold  by  merchants  who  buy  up 
the  coffee    crop,    with    the    consequence    that    they 


ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  193 

offer  as  little  as  possible,  in  order  to  obtain  tbeir  coffee 
at  low  prices.  The  results  are  disastrous  to  a  business 
capable  of  great  extension. 

Another  interesting  trade  in  Ethiopia  is  that  of 
ivory.  This  business  is  almost  entirely  in  the  hands 
of  the  Emperor,  who  receives  annually  from  35  to  40 
tons.  There  is  also  an  annual  export  amounting  to 
about  30  tons  gathered  up  by  private  shippers.  The 
Emperor  receives  not  only  all  the  ivory  captured  for 
his  own  account,  but  one-half  of  that  obtained  by 
private  hunting-parties.  The  export  of  ivory  from 
Ethiopia  decreased  in  value  from  $156,330  in  1902  to 
$131,240  in  1903.  This  diminution  can  be  attributed 
to  the  many  elephant  hunts  organized  under  the 
temptation  of  high  prices  for  ivory,  and  which  would 
have  resulted  in  the  complete  extinction  of  the  species 
but  for  the  Emperor's  happy  inspiration  to  interdict 
these  hunting-parties  without  special  authorization. 
It  will  be  a  number  of  years,  however,  before  exporta- 
tion again  reaches  the  figure  of  $252,830,  which  was 
reached  in  1900.  The  tusks  are  sold  by  weight,  after 
having  been  classed  according  to  diameter.  Large 
tusks,  the  weight  of  which  is  superior  to  7  pounds 
1  ounce,  are  worth  at  Aden  from  $48*25  to  $67'55  per 
measure  of  36  pounds.  Purchases  are  made  by  units 
of  36  pounds.  Tusks  weighing  less  than  7  pounds 
18  ounces,  and  more  than  4  pounds  10  ounces,  bring 
from  $1"35  to  $2*89  per  kilogramme  of  2*20  pounds. 
Finally,  tusks  of  less  than  4'08  pounds  bring  from 
77  cents  to  $1'35  per  kilogramme  of  2*20  pounds. 

The  elephant,  rhinoceros,  and  hippopotamus  are 
still  numerous  in  various  parts  of  the  empire.  Lions 
of  moderate  size  are  found  in  the  wooded  mountains, 
and  of  a  very  much  larger  size  in  the  warm  plains. 

13 


194  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

Leopards  of  enormous  proportions  are  found  in  tlie 
neighbourhood  of  Boulga  and  Ankober.  The  guepard, 
lynx,  hyena,  wolf,  wild  dog,  and  jackal  may  be  encoun- 
tered very  generally.  The  droves  of  buffalo,  almost 
destroyed  by  the  bovine  pest  in  1897,  are  now  multi- 
plying rapidly.  In  the  western  part  of  the  empire 
giraffes  are  occasionally  encountered.  The  ostrich,  of  a 
very  fine  variety,  is  common.  The  zebra  is  met  with  on 
the  plains  of  moderate  altitude,  and  the  wild  ass  in  the 
rocky  mountains  to  the  north.  Antelopes  and  gazeUes 
of  every  conceivable  variety  and  in  great  numbers  are 
foimd  everywhere.  In  the  region  of  Hawash  River 
we  frequently  saw  as  many  as  50  or  100  antelopes 
moving  together.  Among  the  more  notable  varieties 
are  the  bubalus,  koudou,  orix,  and  gnu.  Many 
species  of  the  chamois  are  also  found,  more  or  less 
everywhere,  among  which  is  a  diminutive  species, 
known  locally  as  the  dig-dig,  the  weight  of  which 
rarely  exceeds  10  pounds.  Included  in  a  long  list  of 
other  animals  frequently  encountered  are  the  boar,  the 
wild  dog,  badger,  marten,  hedgehog,  and  many  others 
which  have  not  been  studied. 

Among  the  birds  of  Ethiopia  are  included  the 
bustard  (giant,  medium,  and  small),  guinea-fowl,  the 
red  partridge,  heath-cock,  partridge,  grouse,  Perdix 
Damascena^  pigeons  and  doves,  duck,  teal,  curlew, 
and  woodcock.  Among  the  birds  of  which  the  pliunage 
is  sought  are  the  marabout,  crane,  heron,  blackbird, 
parrot,  jay,  and  humming-birds  of  extraordinary 
brilliancy.  Birds  of  prey  include  varieties  of  the 
eagle  family  and  the  vulture.  The  thousands  of 
varieties  of  insects  and  butterflies  would  delight  the 
scientific  student.  Very  few  classifications  have  been 
made. 


ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  196 

Stock-raising,  including  beef,  sheep,  and  goats,  is  by- 
far  tbe  most  important  industry  of  the  empire.  The 
Ethiopian  steer  or  zebu  possesses  a  fatty  hump,  and 
attains  excessive  weight,  animals  of  average  quality 
ranging  from  770  to  880  pounds.  The  prices  are  very 
low,  as  there  is  no  export  market.  The  flesh  of  the 
goat  is  very  much  preferred  to  that  of  the  sheep,  and 
it  really  seems  to  be  more  delicate  and  palatable. 
They  are  exceedingly  cheap,  being  purchasable  at 
from  38  cents  to  $1'54  each.  The  sheep  of  Abyssinia 
is  of  the  fat-tailed  variety,  peculiar  also  to  Syria.  The 
dominating  breed  is  white  in  colour  with  a  black  head. 
The  meat  is  excellent.  None  of  the  varieties  ordinarily 
seen  have  any  fleece,  and  no  attempt  seems  to  be  made 
to  introduce  a  wool-bearing  species.  In  the  province 
of  Menz  a  race  of  very  small  black  sheep,  the  flesh  of 
which  is  particularly  fine  and  desirable,  is  raised  for 
wool.  The  clip  is  taken  up  locally,  for  the  manufacture 
of  coarse  cloaks  worn  in  the  cold  climates.  The  price 
of  a  sheep  varies  from  38  cents  to  $1*93. 

The  political  history  of  Abyssinia  has  been  so  much 
more  interesting  than  its  economical  development  in 
recent  years  that  little  or  no  attention  has  been  given 
to  the  fact  that  the  empire  is  just  now  rapidly  recover- 
ing from  a  series  of  disasters,  which  would  have  sub- 
merged a  country  less  fortunate  in  natural  resources. 
While  the  Emperor  was  perfecting  his  policy  of 
centrahzation  and  organization  an  epidemic  of  cholera 
spread  through  the  country  in  1890,  causing  fearful 
mortahty.  Famine  followed  the  epidemic,  and  two 
years  later  an  epidemic  of  epizootic  destroyed  nearly 
all  the  herds  of  the  country.  This  malady  raged  for 
three  years  with  such  virulence  that  even  the  antelopes 
of  the  desert  frequently  died.     It  was  estimated  that 

13—2 


196  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

not  more  than  7  or  8  per  cent,  of  the  animals  of  the 
coimtry  were  saved.  And  then,  as  if  this  were  not 
enough,  while  the  cattle  died  like  flies  from  the 
epizootic,  the  farsin  of  Africa — a  form  of  infectious 
pneumonia — attacked  the  mules  and  horses,  and 
finally  upon  the  heels  of  these  afflictions  came  the  fall 
in  the  price  of  silver  throughout  the  world. 

The  standard  of  value  in  Ethiopia  then,  as  it  is 
to-day,  was  the  Maria  Theresa  thaler,  which  ranged  in 
value  from  87  to  96  cents.     From  that  high  level  the 
thaler  has  fallen  as  low  as  39  cents,  and  is  but  little 
above   that  price   to-day.     Here  was  a  clear  loss  of 
50  per  cent,  of  the  cash  capital  of  the  country.     With 
the  fall  in  the  price  of  silver  came  the  decline  in  the 
coffee  market,  and,  in  combination  with  these  develop- 
ments, a  war  with  Italy  supervened  in  1896.     Since 
1897  the  business  current  has  resumed  its  progressive 
movement.   Matters  were  moving  favourably  until  the 
activity    of    various    foreign   commercial    houses   in 
Ethiopia    resulted    in    the    acquisition    by  them   of 
monopolies  for  the  sale  and  purchase  of  coffee,  hides, 
skins,  and   cottons.     The   needs  of  the  Government 
were  great,  and  it  was  represented  that  the  imperial 
revenues  would  be  increased  by  granting  these  con- 
cessions.    The  concessionnaires  paid  fixed  sums  into 
the  Government  for  their  privileges,  and  in  addition 
thereto  the  regidar  import  and  export  duties.     While 
the  public  revenues  were  thus  temporarily  increased 
and  to  some  extent  secured,  the  possession  of  thes^ 
monopolies  enabled  the  holders  to  become  so  exacting 
that  the  volume  of  business  was  reduced,  and  com- 
mercial enterprises  discouraged.     The  Emperor  was 
happily  advised   in   time   to  avert  a  severe  financial 
crisis.     A  practical  experience  with  these  monopolies 


ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  197 

demonstrated  to  his  entire  satisfaction  the  wisdom  of 
giving  to  trade  the  greatest  possible  measure  of  free- 
dom. The  edicts  according  these  monopolies  were 
rescinded,  and  commerce  may  now  be  engaged  in 
without  let  or  hindrance  by  anyone. 

The  general  commercial  situation  is  steadily  im- 
proving, and  the  upward  movement  is  likely  to 
continue  very  strikingly  with  the  extension  of  the 
railroad  from  Dire-Daouah  to  Addis-Ababa. 


CHAPTER  XX 
Our  leave-taking — Tact  and  consideration  of  the  Emperor. 

The  visit  paid  to  tlie  American  encampment  by  the 
Emperor  was  the  certain  signal  that  our  serious 
business  discussions  were  practically  over,  and  that 
we  might  prepare  for  our  homeward  journey.  We 
had  been  now  long  enough  in  Ethiopia  to  appreciate 
what  M.  Chefneux  called  *  the  perfect  freedom  of  the 
life,'  and  we  contemplated  the  return  journey  across 
country  with  real  pleasure.  We  had  at  first  deter- 
mined to  leave  the  city  before  Christmas  Day,  but 
a  cordial  invitation  to  celebrate  that  occasion  under 
the  hospitable  roof  of  the  British  Chargd  d'Affaires 
led  to  a  slight  readjustment  in  our  plans,  for  which 
we  were  amply  repaid.  Our  long  absence  from  our 
accustomed  surroundings  made  it  more  than  delight- 
ful to  receive  a  genuine  British  welcome.  After 
dinner  we  met  incidentally  one  of  the  most  singular 
human  types  in  Ethiopia,  in  the  person  of  Minister 
Harrington's  interpreter,  McKelvey.  This  individual, 
of  Irish  birth,  had  drifted  into  Abyssinia  about  the 
time  of  the  British  invasion  in  1868,  where  he  was 
left  behind.  He  was  then  a  yoimg  boy,  and  proceeded 
to  grow  up  in  the  country,  becoming  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  an  Abyssinian.  He  was  perforce  obliged 
to  adopt  the  costume  as  well  as  the  language  of  the 

198 


;OUR  LEAVE-TAKING  199 

country,  and  finished  by  losing  every  characteristic 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  except  his  name  and  his  auburn 
complexion.  When  Minister  Harrington  first  went 
up  to  Addis-Ababa,  having  need  of  an  interpreter, 
he  found  this  man,  who  had  all  but  forgotten  his 
mother-tongue.  Little  by  little  his  native  language 
came  back  to  him,  and  he  became  a  useful  and  trusted 
employe  of  the  Legation. 

Our  expectation  to  leave  for  the  coast  the  day  after 
Christmas  could  not  be  carried  out  for  various  reasons, 
and,  indeed,  it  was  not  until  Sunday,  December  27, 
nine  days  after  our  arrival,  that  we  left  the  city 
behind  us.  Before  taking  leave  of  the  Emperor, 
he  had  expressed  his  desire  to  send  some  token  of 
friendship  to  the  President.  This  token  arrived  one 
fine  afternoon,  with  numerous  distinguished  persons 
in  charge,  and  attended  by  some  thousands  of  able- 
bodied  citizens.  The  gifts  consisted  of  a  pair  of 
superb  elephant  tusks,  each  8  feet  in  length  and 
384  pounds  in  weight,  and  two  beautiful  little  lions, 
eight  months  old  and  as  playful  as  kittens.  After 
my  return  to  Europe  he  sent  a  number  of  other 
valuable  zoological  specimens  to  Washington.  The 
tusks  excited  the  greatest  admiration,  and  were  the 
more  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  they  had  been 
taken  from  the  same  animal.  The  Emperor's  generous 
intentions  did  not  stop  here,  for  there  were  also 
remembrances  for  each  of  the  officers,  consisting  in 
every  case  of  two  lances,  a  decorated  buckler,  and 
a  sword  of  honour.  The  swords  bore  the  arms  of 
the  Emperor  himself.  The  decorated  bucklers  were 
particularly  appreciated,  as  we  had  frequently  ad- 
mired these  picturesque  adjuncts  of  the  distinguished 
Abyssinians'  costumes,  and  had  been  unable  to  procure 


900  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

any  in  the  market.  Our  investigations  proved  tliat  it 
was  unlawful  for  any  Abyssinian  to  own  or  carry 
any  but  a  plain  leather  shield,  the  Emperor  reserving 
to  himself  the  right  to  confer  the  decorated  shields 
as  rewards  for  merit  or  for  personal  distinction. 
With  the  lions  we  inherited  two  handsome  young 
Ethiopians  from  the  Emperor's  palace,  who  were 
to  care  for  the  little  beasts  until  we  should  reach 
the  railroad. 

Owing  to  the  addition  of  this  live-stock  to  our 
party,  we  were  under  the  necessity  of  changing  all 
our  plans  very  radically  at  the  last  moment.  It  had 
been  our  desire  to  return  eastward  by  the  mountain 
route,  with  mule  transport.  While  we  found  plenty 
of  mules  for  hire,  there  was  none  willing  to  approach 
within  100  feet  of  our  lions,  so  that  in  the  end,  as  a 
means  of  getting  them  to  the  coast,  we  had  to  fall 
back  upon  our  old  Arab  friends,  who  with  their  six 
camels  were  stiU  in  town.  As  the  camels  could  not 
travel  across  the  mountain  trail,  we  had  to  resign  our- 
selves to  retracing  our  steps  over  precisely  the  route 
by  which  we  had  arrived. 

While  these  circumstances  can  be  dismissed  in 
a  paragraph  or  two,  the  arrangements  themselves 
were  not  completed  without  much  vexation  of  spirit. 
The  contract  for  transporting  most  of  our  belongings, 
aside  from  such  as  were  to  be  loaded  upon  the  camels, 
was  awarded  to  a  certain  negadi,  as  the  director  of 
a  mule  caravan  is  called.  The  contract  was  closed 
after  protracted  parleying,  extending  over  several 
days.  The  negadi  proved  to  be  as  much  a  man 
of  his  word  after  he  had  once  started  as  he  was 
exasperating  during  the  preparatory  period.  As 
usual,  these  preliminary  difficulties  were  not  so  much 


OUE  LEAVE-TAKING  201 

a  matter  of  price  as  of  agreement  with  respect  to 
speed  and  camping-places. 

I  strongly  suspect  that  the  worthy  negadi  was  not 
as  deeply  interested  in  the  points  at  issue  as  he  was 
in  exercising  his  talent  of  driving  a  bargain.  At  all 
events,  he  became  so  annoyingly  dilatory  and  uncer- 
tain that  at  the  critical  moment  Lieutenant  Hussey, 
driven  to  desperation,  literally  bundled  him  out  of 
our  compound,  rather  than  continue  the  wordy  con- 
troversy without  end.  It  was  supposed  that  relations 
with  the  negadi  had  thereupon  been  dissolved,  but 
not  at  all ;  the  negadi  returned  some  hours  later, 
declaring  that  he  thoroughly  liked  this  American  way 
of  negotiating,  and  that  the  terms  might  now  be 
considered  agreed  upon. 

The  final  audience  with  the  Emperor  was  fixed  for 
Sunday  afternoon,  December  27.  We  had  already 
exchanged  farewells  with  the  many  good  friends  of 
the  week,  and  we  had  devoted  the  few  remaining  hours 
to  disposing  of  a  part  of  our  surplus  among  the  army 
of  retainers  of  high  and  low  degree.  It  is  difficult 
to  harmonize  expectation  and  stern  realization  in 
cases  like  this,  and  especially  when  the  word  has  been 
passed  round  that  one  is  the  representative  of  the 
richest  Government  in  the  world.  However,  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  issheing  on  every  hand,  and 
bending  to  the  earth,  which  indicated  that  the  general 
results  were  upon  the  whole  satisfactory.  Our  camp- 
ing material  had  been  started  on  to  Shola  about  noon, 
and  when  the  entire  American  party  left  for  the 
Guebi  at  half-past  three,  the  Arab  camel-men  were 
charging  their  six  camels  with  our  personal  effects. 

The  entire  party  cantered  to  the  imperial  palace, 
accompanied   by  M.  Chefneux,  arriving  in  half  an 


202  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

hour.  His  Majesty  received  the  Americans  in  the 
small  audience-chamber,  surrounded  as  usual  by  the 
numerous  high  officers  who  always  attend  him.  The 
sailors  and  marines  stood  at  attention  directly  opposite 
the  throne.  The  serious  business  of  the  hour  was  to 
affix  the  official  seals  to  the  treaty,  which  had  pre- 
viously been  drafted  in  the  Amharic  and  French 
languages,  these  two  versions  appearing  in  parallel 
columns  upon  the  parchment  sheets  sent  for  the 
purpose  by  the  American  Government.  The  assembled 
sheets  were  bound  with  ribbon  in  a  cover  of  blue  and 
gold,  lined  with  satin  and  bearing  without  the  arms  of 
the  United  States.  These  covers  were  again  enclosed 
in  black  leather  cases. 

As  the  actual  comparison  of  the  two  copies  of  the 
treaty  had  preceded  the  audience,  nothing  remained 
to  be  done  except  to  affix  the  signatures  and  seals. 
His  Majesty  never  signs  any  documents,  attaching 
instead  to  his  letters  his  seal  impressed  with  black 
ink,  and  to  formal  documents  the  great  seal  of  State. 
A  white-robed  secretary  appeared  with  the  formidable 
instrument  by  which  this  is  imposed,  and,  placing  it 
on  the  floor,  stamped  the  lion  of  Ethiopia  under  the 
sign  manual  of  the  President's  Commissioner. 

Now  our  specific  mission  had  been  performed,  and 
apparently  as  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  our  Ethiopian 
friends  as  to  ourselves. 

When  the  real  task  of  the  afternoon  had  been 
performed,  I  handed  to  the  Emperor,  as  a  souvenir 
of  the  occasion,  a  bronze  bust  of  Washington.  Not 
to  be  outdone  in  this  manner,  he  had  brought  in 
at  once  the  decorations  intended  for  the  members  of 
the  party.  There  were  two  incidents  connected  with 
these  decorations  which  are  illustrative  of  Menelik's 


TACT  AND  CONSIDEEATION  OF  THE  EMPEEOB  203 

character.  Before  we  had  been  long  in  the  capital, 
M.  Chefneux  had  said  one  day :  *  The  Emperor  desires 
to  give  decorations  to  the  officers  of  your  party,  and 
medals  to  each  of  your  men.  He  knows  that  you 
cannot  imder  your  form  of  Government  accept  these 
decorations  without  referring  the  matter  back  to  your 
higher  authorities  ;  but  he  wants  to  have  the  pleasure 
of  offering  them,  as  he  would  not  Avish  to  have  it  even 
suspected  by  others  that  honours  of  this  kind,  which 
he  sometimes  bestows  on  official  visitors,  had  been 
omitted  in  your  case.' 

His  Majesty  personally  handed  the  medallion  and 
ribbon  of  the  Star  of  Ethiopia  to  each  of  the  five 
officers  present,  leaving  that  task  to  the  Grand 
Chamberlain  when  it  came  to  the  turn  of  the  men. 
The  text  of  the  patent  accompanying  the  decorations 
reads : 

'The  Lion  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah  has  conquered. 
Menelik  H.,  chosen  of  the  Lord  King  of  Kings  of 
Ethiopia.  To  all  who  see  these  presents,  greeting ! 
As  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  decorate  the  doers 
therein  for  their  discernment,  their  intelligence,  their 

valiance,  and  their  ability,  so  we  decorate , 

class  officer,  in  our  order  of  the  Star  of  Ethiopia,  the 
insignia  of  which  he  has  our  permission  to  wear  upon 
his  breast. 

'  Written  in  our  city  of  Addis- Ababa  the  17th  day 
of  December,  a.d.  1896 '  (being  December  27,  1903, 
modern  style). 

After  all  our  soldiers  had  stepped  forward,  saluted, 
and  retired,  it  was  noticed  that  two  medals  still 
remained  on  the  silver  dish  from  which  they  had 
been  distributed.     Now,  it  had  been  mentioned  qidte 


204  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

casually  to  the  Emperor  on  the  day  of  our  arrival 
that  two  of  the  soldiers  had  been  returned  to  their 
ship  immediately  after  reaching  the  railway  terminus 
on  account  of  illness.  I  had  completely  forgotten 
having  ever  spoken  of  this  matter  until  the  Emperor 
pointed  to  these  two  remaining  medals,  and  said : 

'Two  of  your  American  soldiers  could  not  come 
any  further  than  Dir^-Daouah  with  you  on  accoimt  of 
being  sick.  I  don't  want  them  to  be  left  out  of  this 
little  ceremony.  It  marks  a  beginning  in  our  rela- 
tions which  will  have  some  place  in  history.  So  I 
wish  you  to  take  these  medals  back  with  you,  and 
present  them  in  my  name  to  the  two  sick  men  as 
souvenirs  of  this  occasion.' 

It  seemed  to  me  that  as  an  evidence  of  kindly 
thought  and  tact  this  occurrence  is  worthy  of  perma- 
nent record.  The  decorations  conferred  upon  the 
commissioned  officers  of  the  United  States  present 
have  been  since  deposited  in  the  Department  of  State 
at  Washington,  as  the  statute  requires. 

We  all  shook  hands  and  exchanged  congratulations. 
Next  our  soldiers  presented  arms  and  disappeared. 
Then  the  officers  bowed  low  and  followed.  Scarcely 
had  we  left  the  imperial  palace  than  one  of  the 
gentlemen-in-waiting  overtook  us  to  ask,  on  behalf  of 
the  Emperor,  if  we  did  not  wish  to  see  his  lions  before 
departing.  So  courtiers  and  Americans  made  a  last 
tour  of  the  Guebi  to  see  the  splendid  pair  of  lions 
in  the  garden  of  the  Empress's  villa,  after  which  the 
members  of  the  mission  sought  their  mules. 

As  we  prepared  to  set  out  upon  our  long  journey, 
Ethiopians  seemed  to  spring  from  every  corner  of  the 
Guebi  to  say  good-bye  and  wish  us  well.  Such  as  had 
horses  and  mules  accompanied  us  a  number  of  miles 


TACT  AND  CONSIDERATION  OF  THE  EMPEROR  205 

into  tlie  country,  M.  Chefneux  at  their  head.  They 
rode  with  us  until  we  reached  the  first  deep  ravine 
beyond  the  city,  and  there  waited  until  our  party 
dissappeared  in  the  distance.  With  us  marched 
numerous  servants  from  the  palace,  carrying  on  their 
heads  huge  jars  of  tedj,  which  the  Emperor  had 
specifically  ordered  to  be  in  readiness  for  us  at  our 
several  encampments.  We  turned  frequently  to  see 
the  sun  set  behind  the  city,  where  our  portion  had 
been  one  of  great  consideration,  and  when  last  we 
looked  it  made  an  aureole,  such  as  one  sees  only  near 
the  equator,  all  around  the  Guebi  on  the  highest  hiU. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

The  journey  homeward  —  Suggestions  in  regard  to  caravan 
organization — Breaking-up  at  Dir^-Daouah — Once  again  in 
Djibouti. 

Our  return  to  the  coast  was  uneventful.  The  first 
night,  which  we  passed  at  Shola,  was  the  most  exciting, 
or,  to  be  accurate,  the  most  trying,  of  all.  We  had 
been  obhged  to  trust  more  to  Providence  than  to 
ourselves  to  see  that  our  effects  reached  the  chosen 
spot,  having  ourselves  left  for  our  rendezvous  at  the 
palace  before  all  the  baggage  had  been  started  from 
the  compound  of  the  Ras  Oualdo  Gorghis.  The  mule- 
men  had  lived  up  to  their  contract,  preceding  us  to 
Shola  with  the  tents  and  the  most  of  the  men's 
supplies,  but  the  camel-drivers,  who  had  charge  of 
the  officers'  personal  belongings  and  mess,  were 
nowhere  to  be  seen  when  we  arrived  in  camp.  It 
was  a  painful  situation,  for  it  was  late,  and  we  were 
all  hungry.  Furthermore,  we  were  in  full  dress, 
and  without  overcoats,  and  a  cold  wind  swept  over 
the  plain.  There  was  no  wood  to  be  had,  and  no 
refuge  from  the  sharp  night  air.  Manifestly,  five 
highly-decorated  Americans,  who  had  just  said  good- 
bye officially  to  the  King  of  Kings,  could  not  now 
return     to    seek    temporary    lodgings.       Hence    we 

wrapped   ourselves  in  ouir   dignity,   having  nothing 

ao6 


THE  JOUENEY  HOMEWAED  207 

better  at  hand,  and  nourished  ourselves  from  a  large 
can  of  baked  beans  belonging  to  the  men's  stores. 
At  ten  o'clock  Mr.  Hussey  and  Mr.  Wales  with  some 
servants  returned  to  the  city  to  investigate,  and  those 
who  remained  behind  undid  bundles  of  leopards' 
skins,  in  the  vain  hope  of  being  able  to  keep  warm 
under  them,  and  waited  as  philosophically  as  possible. 
At  two  o'clock  the  search-party  returned  with  blankets 
and  bedding,  and  the  further  information  that  the 
delay  had  resulted  from  the  escape  of  the  small  lions 
just  as  the  camels  were  about  to  move.  It  being  dark 
before  the  animals  were  recaptured,  the  Arabs  had 
decided  to  go  to  sleep.  What  we  were  to  do  was  a 
subject  of  minor  consideration. 

The  President's  lions  gave  us  no  end  of  trouble 
throughout  the  journey.  Our  professional  trainers 
nearly  killed  them  both  with  kindness,  in  the  form  of 
too  much  food,  and  one  little  fellow  did  die  while  we 
were  crossing  Mount  Asabot.  The  grief  of  the  lion- 
men  was  most  pitiful,  and  indeed  we  were  all  depressed 
by  the  circumstance,  as  the  two  animals  were  playful 
and  gentle  as  kittens.  The  survivor,  Ambesa,  moped 
for  several  days,  but  in  the  end  recovered  health  and 
spirits,  and  reached  Washington  some  months  later, 
where  he  has  become  a  large  and  vigorous  member 
of  the  national  collection. 

The  domesticated  lion  in  Ethiopia  is  almost  a  sacred 
creature,  and  in  the  event  of  death  custom  requires 
that  it  shall  be  buried  with  ceremony.  In  the  case  of 
our  own  lion,  a  grave  was  prepared,  the  body  wrapped 
in  a  chamma,  and  laid  away  in  the  presence  of  all  our 
Abyssinian  servants. 

Our  journey  homeward  was  incomparably  more 
satisfactory  than  the  one  to  Addis-Ababa.     We  were 


208  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

in  excellent  physical  condition  ourselves,  our  camp 
organization  was  better,  and  probably  the  thought  of 
having  accomplished  that  for  vrhich  we  had  come  had 
not  a  little  to  do  with  it. 

The  recrossing  of  the  dreaded  plains  of  Fantall^ 
was  now  a  pleasure  which  looms  up  among  the  clearest 
impressions  of  an  eventful  four  months.  This  time 
we  committed  no  such  error  as  to  set  forth  under  an 
equatorial  sun,  but  rested  quietly  at  Tadechemalka 
until  three  o'clock,  and  managed  to  pass  the  rough 
and  dangerous  places  before  twilight.  When  the 
huge  red  sun  prepared  to  disappear,  the  air  became 
at  once  cool  and  refreshing,  and  the  breeze  brought 
with  it  a  faint  and  barely  distinguishable  perfume. 
Wolves  streaked  half  curiously,  half  fearfully,  across 
our  path  as  darkness  settled  down,  hyenas  howled, 
and  strange  sounds  came  from  all  around.  We  passed 
large  herds  of  grazing  camels,  which,  sniffing  the 
white  man,  seemed  disposed  to  stampede,  but,  think- 
ing better  of  it,  returned  to  their  grazing  once  more. 
Dozens  of  long  caravans,  coming  from  the  other 
direction,  passed  us,  and  in  our  blind  efforts  on  both 
sides  to  hold  to  the  narrow  trail  through  the  long 
dried  grass  camels  and  mules  had  many  a  collision, 
in  which  we  could  always  distinguish  the  clatter  of 
our  tmwieldy  tent-poles  and  the  rattle  of  our  sugar 
and  bread  cans.  Then  would  come  a  halt,  and  out  of 
the  darkness  would  issue  shrill  Abyssinian  exclama- 
tions and  Arabian  objurgations,  which  ceased  only 
when  an  old-fashioned  Yankee  '  Damn !'  could  be  heard 
in  the  storm  centre,  and  then  things  would  be  set 
straight  again.  Finally,  when  the  blackness  became 
80  dense  as  to  bear  down  upon  our  spirits  with  some- 
thing of  the  weight  of  physical  oppression,  the  stars 


THE  JOUENEY  HOMEWARD  209 

came  out  as  quickly  as  tlie  sun  had  disappeared,  and 
on  the  distant  slopes  of  Mount  Fantalle  '  lion  fires ' 
burst  upward,  showing  where  the  shepherds  minded 
their  flocks,  and  wished  to  frighten  the  wild  beasts 
away.  So  we  knew  that  we  were  not  alone,  and  that 
off  in  the  distance  there  dwelt  men,  clad  in  skins,  who 
had  their  ambitions,  their  hopes  and  fears,  as  we  had, 
bounded  by  the  mountains  on  the  one  hand  and  the 
desert  on  the  other.  Watching  the  lion  fires,  we  saw 
a  new  one  on  the  very  sky-line  of  old  Fantalle,  and 
this  new  one  shot  higher  and  higher,  bathing  the 
whole  ridge  with  light,  and  then,  leaping  upward, 
disclosed  itself — the  moon  ! 

Now  we  could  distinguish  the  caravans  passing  our 
own,  for  traffic  across  the  plains  is  largely  suspended 
during  the  daytime,  and  resmned  in  the  cool  of  the 
night,  with  the  moon  to  show  the  way.  Mules,  mules, 
mules,  never  have  I  seen  so  many  mules,  their  owners 
huddled  up  in  their  chammas,  too  nearly  asleep  to 
proffer  the  salutation  of  the  road.  But  for  that  matter, 
we  none  of  us  spoke  much  after  the  sun  had  set.  The 
mysterious  spell  of  an  African  night  leaves  one  speech- 
less, with  a  vague  consciousness  of  an  invisible  chorus 
singing  Addison's  hynm  of  the  firmament,  telling  its 
story  to  the  listening  earth. 

We  camped  about  ten  o'clock,  and  the  following 
morning  at  three  we  were  off  again.  Between  this  spot 
and  the  Hawash  River  our  hunters  had  their  most 
memorable  day.  It  is  really  almost  unbelievable  the 
scores,  the  hundreds,  of  gazelles  and  antelopes  that  we 
saw,  peering  at  us  anxiously,  then  turning  and  flying 
across  the  plains.  We  dined  well  that  night  on  the 
pleasant  banks  of  Katchinhaha. 

We  had  been  handicapped  from  the  very  start  by 

14 


210  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

the  absence  of  any  data  upon  whicli  to  base  an 
effective  organization.  We  had  no  official  or  unofficial 
agents,  either  in  Abyssinia  or  Somaliland,  to  whom 
we  could  appeal  for  prehminary  suggestions,  so  that, 
all  things  considered,  we  had  very  few  mistakes  to 
regret ;  but  we  might  have  added  materially  to  our 
comfort  and  convenience  had  we  depended  less  upon 
the  country  for  outfitting  purposes.  Our  camping 
material  had  been  made  up  from  the  supplies  of  the 
European  squadron,  which  was  at  Beirut  when  the 
prehminary  orders  were  issued  ;  and  although  Admiral 
Cotton  had  placed  everything  on  hand  at  our  disposi- 
tion, it  was  impossible  to  create  that  which  did  not 
exist.  The  camping  materials  of  the  squadron,  while 
of  excellent  quality,  were  ordinarily  used  by  landing 
parties,  to  whom  the  question  of  transport  was  a 
secondary  consideration,  and  they  were  not  at  all 
adapted  to  a  long  journey  overland,  the  difficulties  of 
which  were  increased  by  every  unnecessary  pound  of 
impedimenta.  We  set  out  from  Dir^-Daouah  with 
American  tents  and  food  products,  English  camp-beds, 
Abyssinian  saddles,  French  chairs,  and  an  assortment 
of  waterproof  bags,  wooden  boxes,  and  tin  trunks,  of 
which  no  two  were  alike. 

I  had  desired  to  take  with  me  from  Washington 
a  sufficient  number  of  army  saddles  for  all  our  men, 
but  it  was  feared  that  they  would  not  fit  the  Abyssinian 
mule,  so  I  contented  myself  with  two  such  saddles, 
which  were  far  and  away  the  best  in  the  expedition. 
The  native  saddle  is  a  primitive  affair  of  wood  covered 
with  carpet,  and  it  is  difficult  to  tell  whether  it  has 
been  invented  by  an  enemy  of  man  or  beast,  or  both. 
The  American  saddle  with  the  hooded  stirrups  is 
exactly  the  thing  for  crossing  the  desert,  following 


CAEAVAN  OEGANIZATION  211 

trails  lined  by  thorn-bushes  and  passing  through 
rocky  defiles,  where  the  foot  is  likely  to  receive  many 
a  scratch  or  jar  unless  protected  or  lifted  out  of  the 
way.  The  Abyssinian  bit  is  a  shocking  contrivance, 
consisting  of  a  ring,  which  goes  around  the  mule's 
lower  lip,  and  a  long  projection,  which  extends  over 
the  tongue.  When  the  reins  are  pulled,  the  animal's 
mouth  is  inevitably  forced  wide  open. 

If  I  had  the  journey  to  undertake  again  I  should 
certainly  equip  myself  in  New  York,  where  the  best 
and  most  convenient  camping  materials  may  be  found. 
The  round  silk  waterproof  tents  with  one  pole  seem 
to  have  been  intended  for  Abyssinia.  We  had  old- 
fashioned  wall-tents,  supported  by  two  uprights  and 
a  ridge  pole.  These  poles  often  brought  our  caravan 
to  the  brink  of  disaster.  Every  self-respecting  camel 
detested  them.  They  were  the  first  things  to  shift 
from  the  load,  and  to  run  foul  of  the  trees  and  brush 
en  route.  The  saving  in  the  cost  of  transportation 
alone  would  have  gone  a  long  way  towards  paying  for 
the  first  cost  of  silk  tents,  which  weigh  next  to  nothing 
and  possess  every  solid  advantage. 

Folding-beds,  chairs,  and  tables  are  a  necessity. 
Such  as  may  be  had  in  Red  Sea  towns  are  expensive 
and  heavy.  A  sleeping-bag  would  be  a  great  con- 
venience. No  one  should  undertake  to  sleep  upon 
the  ground  unless  obliged  to  do  so.  Canvas  tent 
floors  are  by  no  means  the  imnecessary  luxury  that 
they  sound.  The  vicissitudes  of  caravan  life  are 
reasonably  certain  to  obHge  one  to  camp  amid  foul 
surroundings,  and  the  tent  floor  can  make  them,  at 
least,  not  quite  intolerable. 

Provisions  can  be  obtained  in  endless  variety  in 
New  York,  and  freight  charges  are  comparatively  low. 

14—2 


212  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

I  should  therefore  recommend  bringing  practically 
everything  in  the  way  of  canned  goods.  The  country 
may  be  depended  upon  for  fresh  beef  and  mutton, 
potatoes,  onions,  and  game  of  all  sorts,  but  the 
traveller  will  feel  the  need  of  canned  soups,  all  kinds 
of  vegetables,  and  fruit.  Hard  bread  should  not  be 
overlooked.  The  preserved  butter  which  we  had  was 
not  particularly  palatable,  but  there  may  be  better 
upon  the  market.  The  country  cannot  be  depended 
upon  for  sweet  milk  anywhere.  The  American 
evaporated  cream  stands  transportation,  and  nothing 
too  good  can  be  said  of  it. 

In  crossing  the  desert,  things  which  are  ordinarily 
luxuries  among  camping-parties  become  real  neces- 
sities. Mineral  water,  canned  fruits,  marmalade, 
sweet  chocolate,  cream,  and  tea,  are  most  satisfying 
and  necessary.  On  the  other  hand,  we  became  very 
tired  of  canned  corned  beef  and  the  fresh  beef  of  the 
country.  All  of  the  fresh  meat  and,  to  a  lesser  extent, 
aU  of  the  game  which  we  had  was  tough,  as  we  had 
no  means  of  keeping  it  for  a  proper  length  of  time. 
In  making  up  my  list  a  second  time,  I  should  not 
overlook  a  very  much  larger  quantity  of  baked  beans 
and  canned  hash. 

I  should  always  have  one  case  of  mineral  water  to 
faU  back  upon,  and  to  be  used  only  in  the  event  of 
urgent  need,  and  as  much  more  as  possible.  We  had 
bottled  water  when  we  approached  Addis-Ababa,  but 
we  were  unable  to  procure  any  for  the  homeward 
journey.  Petroleimi  cans  or  skins  should  certainly 
be  carried  for  transporting  water.  It  is  frequently 
desirable  to  make  camp  twenty  miles  from  the  nearest 
stream  or  well. 

Some  of  these  things  can  be  obtained  at  Port  Said, 


CARAVAN  ORGANIZATION  213 

but  tlie  uncertainty  of  finding  fresh  supplies  after 
leaving  New  York  is  such,  that  it  would  be  better  to 
run  no  chances.  A  practical  filter  should  not  be  for- 
gotten. We  had  numerous  waterproof  bags  for  our 
personal  belongings,  which  proved  to  be  unspeakable 
nuisances,  although  easily  loaded.  The  object  sought 
in  these  bags  is  invariably  at  the  bottom.  Small 
tin  trunks  are  far  more  desirable.  These  trunks, 
in  size  22  by  14  by  14  inches  approximately,  are  satis- 
factory and  cheap.  They  may  be  loaded  readily  upon 
either  mule  or  camel. 

We  hired  our  transport,  consisting  on  the  upward 
trip  of  forty-five  camels,  but  purchased  outright  our 
saddle  mules.  These  saddle  mules  cost  from  fiity 
to  eighty  thalers  each,  with  a  few  high-priced  excep- 
tions, and  on  resale  brought  from  thirty  to  sixty 
thalers.  The  native  saddles  used  by  the  men  cost 
from  six  to  ten  thalers,  and  sold  for  very  little. 
Though  we  made  contract  time,  our  vexation  of  spirit 
was  always  very  great.  There  were  frequent  oppor- 
tunities for  increasing  the  day's  work,  which  we  were 
prevented  from  doing  by  the  dilatory  methods  of 
the  camel-drivers.  Nobody  who  has  not  had  experi- 
ence with  these  men,  and  with  African  mule-men, 
can  appreciate  how  many  difficulties  may  arise  in 
dealing  with  them.  There  are  moments  when  appeals 
to  contract  stipulations  fall  upon  deaf  ears,  and  only 
force  can  cause  them  to  be  respected.  If  peace  of 
mind  is  of  any  consideration,  it  is  decidedly  prefer- 
able to  buy  transport  mules  outright,  and  sell  them 
at  the  end  of  the  journey.  If  care  be  taken  in  making 
good  purchases  they  can  be  resold,  and  the  net  ex- 
pense is  not  materially  greater  than  by  the  contract 
method.      Transport  by  camel  is   cheaper  than  by 


214  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

mtJe  under  ordinary  circumstances,  but  two  miles 
an  hour  is  all  that  can  be  expected  from  the  camel, 
while  mules  can  make  from  three  to  three  and  a  half 
day  after  day.  If  one  is  reduced  to  the  necessity 
of  hiring  transport,  the  practical  thing  to  do  is  to 
look  around  quietly  until  persuaded  that  some  one 
individual  of  responsibility  is  so  situated  as  to  be  able 
to  make  the  bargains,  and  then  charge  him  with  the 
task.  It  is  practically  impossible  for  a  foreigner 
and  a  stranger  to  engage  camel-men  directly.  Their 
methods  will  wear  out  the  stoutest  heart,  and  the 
prices  will  be  no  lower  than  may  be  obtained  by 
reposing  confidence  in  European  residents  or  some 
reliable  firm  who  understand  with  whom  they  are 
dealing. 

Upon  our  return  from  Addis-Ababa  our  every 
department  was  in  fairly  good  form.  Our  Abyssinian 
negadi,  who  seemed  to  have  some  appreciation  of 
the  value  of  time,  had  his  animals  loaded  and  off 
promptly  every  morning,  and  found  better  camping 
spots  than  our  Danakil  friends.  He  seemed  to  go 
instinctively  to  the  cleanest  and  most  attractive  locali- 
ties, and  his  judgment  could  be  relied  upon. 

We  cantered  into  Dir^-Daouah  before  noon  one  day, 
our  nineteenth  out  from  Addis-Ababa,  to  receive  as 
cordial  a  welcome  from  the  European  residents  as  we 
had  had  before.  The  next  two  days  were  devoted  to 
paying  bills  and  distributing  our  camping  outfit  to 
our  grateful  and  highly  receptive  servants.  It  was 
more  pathetic  than  laughable  to  see  these  faithful 
fellows  issue  forth  in  pink  pyjamas,  and  wearing 
worn-out  stockings  over  their  unshod  feet.  The 
greatest  demand  was  for  our  ancient  and  honoured 
hats.     When  the  silk  headpiece  of  the  ComLmissioner, 


BREAKING-UP  AT  DIEE-DAOUAH  215 

wliich  had  caused  amazement  in  Addis-Ababa  and 
Harrar,  was  presented  to  Atto  Pito,  chief  muleteer, 
the  worthy  man's  joy  knew  no  bounds.  He  knelt  at 
once,  before  he  could  be  prevented,  and  kissed  the 
donor  on  both  feet.  Then  he  drew  his  snowy-white 
chamma  about  him,  placed  one  hand  upon  his  long 
curved  sword,  and  strode  forth,  with  the  silk  hat  on 
the  back  of  his  head,  to  resume  the  prosaic  occupation 
of  a  railroad  track  boss. 

The  American  party  took  an  early  train  to  Djibouti, 
and  most  of  the  Dir^-Daouah  friends  were  at  the 
station  to  see  us  off.  There  were  M.  Jaume,  who 
had  helped  me  to  gather  commercial  information ; 
M.  Eugene  Carette,  who  had  made  one  of  my  collec- 
tions of  Abyssinian  seeds  ;  M.  Lebertois,  the  geologist ; 
and  ever  so  many  others.  M.  Bo,  who  whiles  away 
his  spare  hours  by  collecting  the  brilliant  birds  of 
Abyssinia,  came  to  the  station  with  a  parting  gift  of 
his  beautiful  specimens.  M.  Pierre  Carette  came  with 
two  hyenas,  which  were  similarly  offered.  One  of 
them  is  now  in  the  National  Zoological  Park  at 
Washington,  and  another  in  the  Zoo  at  Paris.  Atto 
Marcho,  the  choum,  represented  the  person  of  the 
Emperor,  to  whom  a  message  of  farewell  had  been 
telephoned.  Many  kind  words  were  said,  and  we 
parted  with  the  warmest  feelings  for  our  African 
acquaintances. 

Our  army  of  servants  came  to  the  train  as  one  man. 
They  had  all  been  paid  off  and  '  gratified '  the  day 
before,  so  their  presence  could  only  be  regarded  in 
the  light  of  a  personal  manifestation.  Oualdo  son  of 
Mikael  said  little,  but  before  the  train  started  thrust 
into  my  hand  a  small  sih^er  cross,  taken  from  around 
his  own  neck.     It  was  one  which  his  uncle,  the  Vicar- 


216  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

General,  liad  given  him  as  a  little  boy,  and  wliich.  I 
had  once  admired.  I  tried  to  refuse  it,  until  he  asked 
me  if  the  cross  of  his  country  were  not  also  the  cross 
of  my  country.  He  added  that  he  would  feel  much 
better  if  he  knew  that  I  had  this  cross  with  which  to 
remember  that  he  had  been  one  of  the  members  of 
the  expedition,  and,  furthermore,  that  it  would  bring 
me  good  fortune. 

The  three  Somali  soldier  policemen  stood  shoulder 
to  shoulder  in  military  style,  each  one  decorated  with 
the  *  Order  of  St.  Louis,'  as  we  familiarly  called  the 
colours  and  insignia  of  the  great  Exposition,  the 
wearing  of  which  gave  them  much  satisfaction. 
Mohamed  the  cook  wept  steadily,  and  muttered  at 
intervals,  *  This  is  not  good  for  me,  this  is  not  good 
for  me  !'  Moslem  though  he  was,  he  supported  him- 
self by  holding  the  hand  of  a  Christian  Abyssinian. 
In  this  painful  hour  he  laid  aside  religious  differences, 
and  for  the  moment  regarded  all  men  as  brothers. 
Many  of  these  faithful  black  servants  ran  wildly 
alongside  the  train  when  it  started,  until  they  could 
no  longer  keep  up  the  pace,  our  big-hearted  soldiers 
calling  out  to  them  from  the  car  windows  :  *  Good-bye, 
Salass^  !'  *  Good-bye,  Issouf  !'  *  Good-bye,  Manfredo  !' 
repeating  the  names  with  which  we  were  now  so 
familiar.  Then  we  realized,  every  one  of  us,  that  we 
were  leaving  behind  us  real  friends  in  Ethiopia. 

It  was  a  hot  and  tranquil  journey  to  the  coast.  On 
the  train  there  were  several  additional  railway 
poKcemen,  who  got  off  halfway  down  the  line  to  put 
an  end  to  some  fighting  that  had  been  going  on,  and 
to  escort  one  of  the  wounded  back  to  Dir^-Daouah  for 
medical  attention.  Djibouti  was  reached  after  night- 
fall.    Everyone  was  tired,  but  full  of  good  humour, 


ONCE  AGAIN  IN  DJIBOUTI  217 

and  more  than  one,  I  fancy,  regretted  tlie  end  of  tlie 
life  of  freedom  in  the  open  air.  My  own  recollection 
is  that  the  marines  and  sailors  sent  up  three  rousing 
cheers,  as  the  doctor,  the  secretary,  and  the  Com- 
missioner drove  away.  I  am  glad  to  think  that  the 
expedition  came  to  an  end  with  this  eloquent  ex- 
pression of  feeling,  which  meant  more  than  words 
could  convey. 


APPENDIX  A 

The  shortest  and  quickest  route  to  Addis- Ababa,  the  capital 
of  Ethiopia,  is  by  steamer  from  Marseilles  to  Djibouti,  thence 
by  rail  to  Dire-Daouah,  and  thence  by  caravan  over  the 
Mount  Asabot  trail.  The  American  party  left  Marseilles  on 
October  25,  1903,  reached  Djibouti  on  November  17,  where 
the  escort  was  formed,  made  a  preliminary  journey  to  Harrar 
from  Dir^-Daouah,  and  then  proceeded  from  Dir6-Daouah 
to  the  capital  by  the  following  itinerary  : 

November  29,  Caracalla. — After  three  hours.  Very  bad  wells, 
good  grazing  and  shooting.     Should  have  gone  to  Ourso. 

November  30,  Ourso. — After  three  hours.  Fair-sized  stream 
of  good  water.    Flocks  and  herds  plentiful ;  good  grazing. 

December  1,  HofalU. — After  three  hours  through  stunted 
mimosa-groves  and  dreary  desert.  The  road  cannot  be 
mistaken,  and  is  to  the  left  of  the  huge  mountain  which 
gives  the  camping-place  its  name.  Camped  in  the  dry  bed 
of  the  stream,  where  an  insufficient  water-supply  was  found 
in  a  well.     Grazing  poor ;  plenty  of  gazelles  and  dig-digs. 

December  2,  Ergotto-Mimosa. — After  five  and  a  half  hours 
across  stony  desert.  One  hour  and  a  half  before  reaching 
this  place  the  Errer  Eiver  is  crossed.  It  is  a  fine  stream, 
and  an  excellent  spot  for  a  camp.  Ergotto-Mimosa  has  also 
a  fine  stream.  Spot  said  to  be  malarious.  Supplies  from 
village  available. 

December  3,  Ellabella. — After  three  hours  across  desert 
and  through  thin  mimosa-groves.  Numerous  large  trees 
surrounding  two  wells  of  fair  water.  Flocks,  herds,  and 
game  plentiful. 

December  4,  Derabella. — After  four  and  a  half  hours  across 

219 


220  ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 

beautiful  meadows.  Well  at  some  distance  from  the  route. 
Game  in  plenty;  chickens  and  eggs  may  be  purchased. 
Grass  hard  to  find. 

December  5,  Delado. — After  four  hours.  Country  barren  at 
first,  becoming  grassy  and  better  near  Delado.  Plenty  of 
water  in  wells.  Ground  camped  over  to  a  considerable 
distance  on  either  side.     Herds  in  plenty. 

December  6,  Moulu. — After  four  hours  across  rich  prairies. 
Dig-digs,  gazelles,  guinea-fowl,  quail,  in  plenty.  Excellent 
stream. 

December  7,  Meso. — After  two  hours.  Same  country  as 
before.  We  should  have  gone  farther,  camping  near  Mount 
Asabot.  We  remained  here  until  1  a.m.,  and  then  pressed 
on  to  Laga-Arba. 

December  8,  Laga-Arba. — After  twelve  hours.  A  long  and 
wearisome  journey.  Game  of  all  descriptions.  Fine  river ; 
clean  camping-ground  by  leaving  the  main  trail.  On  the 
return  journey  we  carried  water,  and  camped  midway  between 
Laga-Arba  and  Meso,  proceeding  next  day  to  Moulu.  On  the 
up  journey  we  remained  here  two  days  for  rest. 

December  10,  Katchinhaha. — After  four  and  a  half  hours. 
A  beautiful  stream ;  plenty  of  game.  A  short  distance  before 
Katchinhaha  the  route  joins  the  highway  from  Harrar  and 
Addis- Ababa.  We  now  followed  the  telegraph  line  to  Addis- 
Ababa. 

December  11,  FantaJU. — After  eight  hours.  We  left  Kat- 
chinhaha at  eight  o'clock,  and  after  numerous  vicissitudes — 
crossing  the  important  Hawash  Kiver  en  route — reached 
Fantall^  about  5  p.m.  Found  foul  water  in  crevices  of 
rocks ;  better  water  higher  up.  No  water  at  all  when  we 
returned.  Antelopes,  dig-digs,  and  winged  game  in  plenty. 
A  very  hard  day's  journey. 

December  12,  Tadechemalka. — After  five  hours.  Good 
camping-ground  on  the  Kassan  Kiver. 

December  13,  Choba.  —  After  four  hours.  No  water ; 
Kassan  River  two  hours  away.  Travellers  should  telephone 
to  authorities  ordering  jars  of  water  to  be  in  readiness,  or 
transport  same  from  previous  camp. 


APPENDIX  A  221 

December  14,  Minahella. — After  five  hours  across  splendid 
farming  country.  Found  a  reservoir  en  route  to  left,  and 
watered  mules.  Diverged  to  right  of  main  trail  at  Minabella, 
and  camped  near  large  reservoir.  Grazing  excellent.  Guinea- 
fowl  and  plover  in  plenty. 

December  15,  Baltchi. — After  five  and  a  half  hours. 
Struggled  up  the  mountain  and  camped  before  the  village. 
An  unfavourable  spot  on  account  of  vermin.  Water  is  to  be 
found  below  in  the  ravine.  When  we  returned  we  camped 
below.     Supplies  in  plenty ;  wood  scarce. 

December  16,  Chaffee-Dunsa. — After  seven  hours.  Camped 
on  beautiful  prairie  beside  good  stream.  Small  quantities  of 
fuel  to  be  bought  in  neighbouring  villages. 

December  17,  Akaki. — After  six  hours.  Camped  on  banks 
of  fair-sized  river.    Conditions  favourable. 

December  18,  Shola. — After  two  hours.  Fine  prairies  and 
good  spring.  Here  we  remained  only  long  enough  to  prepare 
for  our  official  entry.  This  was  our  first  camp  when  we 
returned. 

December  18,  Addis-Ababa. — After  one  hour. 

Total  approximate  distance  from  Dir^-Daouah  to  Addis - 
Ababa,  275  miles. 


APPENDIX    B 
Members  of  the  Ambbican  Pabty. 

Commissioner. 
Robert  P.  Skinner. 

Surgeon. 
Dr.  A.  P.  L.  Pease. 

Secretary. 
Horatio  W.  Wales. 

Lieutenant  {U.S.N.) . 
C.  L.  Hussey. 

Captain  {U.S.M.C.). 
G.  C.  Thorpe. 

Sergeant. 

Glenn,  Bobert  J. 

Corporal 

Wood,  Walter. 

Privates. 


Gates,  Leonard  L. 
Flay,  Hudson  J. 
Nelson,  Charles. 
Coleman,  John  M. 
Borland,  Balph  A. 
Dauth,  Frederick 
Freel,  John  F. 
Hebert,  Benjamin  F. 
Howell,  Theodore  E. 
Nilton,  John  G. 


O'Connor,  Patrick. 
Scott,  Henry  J. 
Steele,  Harry  R. 
Tweig,  George  J. 
Vernon,  William. 
Wurm,  William. 
Maddock,  Bitchie  S. 
Aldrich,  Boy  M. 
Schultz,  William. 
Bossell,  Joseph  A. 


Hospital  Steward. 
Feamley,  William  H. 

Messenger,  American  Consular  Service. 

Biviere,  Hubert  Vivien. 

222 


APPENDIX  C 
TREATY 

BETWEEN    THE 

UNITED  STATES  AND  THE  KING  OF  ETHIOPIA 

TO   BEaULATE   THE 

COMMERCIAL    RELATIONS    BETWEEN    THE   TWO 
COUNTRIES 

Signed  at  Addis- Ababa,  December  27,  1903. 
Batification  advised  by  the  Senate^  March  12,  1904. 
Batified  by  the  President,  March  17,  1904. 
King  of  Ethiopia  notified  of  ratification,  Augtist  2,  1904. 
Proclaimed,  September  30,  1904. 

By  the  President  op  the  United  States  op  America. 

A  PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas  a  treaty  of  commerce  between  the  United  States 
of  America  and  His  Majesty  Menelik  II.,  King  of  Kings 
of  Ethiopia,  was  concluded  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of 
December,  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  three,  the  original 
of  which  treaty,  being  in  the  Amharic*  and  French  lan- 
guages, is  word  for  word  as  follows : 

{Translation.) 

TREATY  OP  COMMERCE.        TRAITfi  DE  COMMERCE. 

His   Majesty  Menelik  II.,  Sa    Majesty    Menilek    II., 

King  of  Kings  of  Ethiopia,  Roi  des  Rois  d'^thiopie,  et 

and    the    United    States    of  les    Etats-Unis    d'Am^rique, 

America,   having    agreed    to  ayant  convenu  de  r^gler  les 

*  Amharic  text  not  printed. 
228 


221 


ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 


regulate  the  commercial  rela- 
tions between  the  two  coun- 
tries and  develop  them,  and 
render  them  more  and  more 
advantageous  to  the  two  con- 
tracting Powers : 

His  Majesty  Menelik  II., 
King  of  Kings  of  Ethiopia, 
in  the  name  of  the  Empire, 
and  Kobert  P.  Skinner,  in 
the  name  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  have  agreed  and 
stipulated  that  which  follows : 


relations  commerciales  entre 
les  deux  pays  de  les  develop - 
per,  et  de  les  rendre  de  plus 
en  plus  avantageuses  aux  deux 
Puissances  contractantes  : 

Sa  Majesty  Menilek  II., 
Eoi  des  Eois  d'Ethiopie,  au 
nom  de  Son  Empire,  et 
Kobert  P.  Skinner,  muni  des 
pleins  pouvoirs  du  President 
Eoosevelt,  au  nom  des  Etats- 
Unis  d'Am^rique,  ont  con- 
venu  et  stipule  ce  qui  suit : 


Article  I. 

The  citizens  of  the  two 
Powers,  like  the  citizens  of 
other  countries,  shall  be  able 
freely  to  travel  and  to  trans- 
act business  throughout  the 
extent  of  the  territories  of  the 
two  contracting  Powers,  while 
respecting  the  usages  and  sub- 
mitting themselves  to  the 
tribunals  of  the  countries  in 
which  they  may  be  located. 

Article  II. 

In  order  to  facilitate  com- 
mercial relations,  the  two 
Governments  shall  assure, 
throughout  the  extent  of  their 
respective  territories,  the 
security  of  those  engaged 
in  business  therein  and  of 
their  property. 


Article  I. 

Les  citoyens  des  deux 
Puissances  pourront  en  toute 
liberte,  comme  les  citoyens 
des  autres  pays,  circuler  et 
commercer  dans  I'^tendue  des 
territoires  des  deux  Puissances 
contractantes,  en  respectant 
les  usages  et  se  soumettant 
aux  tribunaux  du  pays  ou  ils 
se  trouveront. 


Article  IL 

Afin  de  faciliter  les  rela- 
tions commerciales,  les  deux 
Gouvemements  assureront, 
dans  r^tendue  de  leurs  terri- 
toires respectifs,  la  s^curit^ 
des  commer9ants  et  de  leurs 
biens. 


APPENDIX  C 


225 


Article  III. 

The  two  contracting  Govern- 
ments shall  reciprocally  grant 
to  all  citizens  of  the  United 
States  of  America  and  to  the 
citizens  of  Ethiopia  all  the 
advantages  which  they  shall 
accord  to  other  Powers  in 
respect  to  Customs  duties, 
imposts,  and  jurisdiction. 


Article  IV. 

Throughout  the  extent  of 
the  Ethiopian  Empire  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States 
of  America  shall  have  the  use 
of  the  telegraphs,  posts,  and 
all  other  means  of  transporta- 
tion upon  the  same  terms  as 
the  citizens  of  other  Powers. 


Article  III. 

Les  deux  Gouvemements 
contractants  feront  rdcipro- 
quement  b6n6ficier  tous  les 
citoyens  des  ]&tats  -  Unis 
d'Amerique  et  les  citoyens 
Ethiopiens  de  tous  les  avan- 
tages  qu'ils  accorderont  k 
d'autres  Puissances  comme 
droits  de  douanes,  d'impots, 
ou  de  juridiction. 

Article  IV. 

Dans  I'dtendue  de  I'Empire 
Ethiopien  les  citoyens  des 
Etats-Unis  d'Amerique  auront 
I'usage  des  telegraphes,poste8, 
et  tous  autres  moyens  de 
transports  aux  memes  tarifs 
que  les  citoyens  des  autres 
Puissances. 


Article  V. 

In  order  to  perpetuate  and 
strengthen  the  friendly  rela- 
tions which  exist  between 
Ethiopia  and  the  United 
States  of  America,  the  two 
Governments  agree  to  receive 
reciprocally  representatives 
acceptable  to  the  two  Govern- 
ments. These  representatives 
shall  not,  however,  be  main- 
tained at  their  posts  unless 
they  are  agreeable  to  the 
receiving  Power;  in  such 
cases  they  shall  be  replaced. 


Article  V. 

Pour  perpdtuer  et  fortifier 
les  rapports  amicaux  qui 
existent  entre  I'Ethiopie  et 
les  Etats-Unis  d'Amerique, 
les  deux  Gouvemements  con- 
viennent  de  recevoir  recipro- 
quement  des  representants 
agr^ds  par  les  deux  Gouveme- 
ments. Ces  representants  ne 
pourront  toutefois  etre  main- 
tenus  a  leur  poste  que  s'ils 
sont  agr^ables  k  I'autre  Puis- 
sance ;  en  cas  contraire  ils 
seront  remplac^s. 

15 


226 


ABYSSINIA  OF  TO-DAY 


Article  VI. 

The  duration  of  the  present 
treaty  shall  be  ten  years.  It 
is  understood  that  at  the 
expiration  of  these  ten  years 
the  two  Governments  shall 
be  able  to  modify  all  or  any 
part  of  this  treaty.  The 
Government  which  shall  re- 
quest at  that  time  the  modifi- 
cation shall  make  its  proposal 
to  the  other  Government  one 
year  before  the  expiration  of 
the  treaty. 

Article  VII. 

The  present  treaty  shall 
take  eJBfect,  if  ratified  by  the 
Government  of  the  United 
States,  and  if  this  ratifica- 
tion shall  be  notified  to  His 
Majesty  Menelik  II.,  King  of 
Kings  of  Ethiopia,  within  the 
period  of  one  year. 

His  Majesty  Menelik  II., 
King  of  Kings  of  Ethiopia,  in 
the  name  of  his  Empire,  and 
Eobert  P.  Skinner,  in  virtue 
of  his  full  powers,  in  the 
name  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  have  signed  the 
present  treaty,  written  in 
double  text,  Amharic  and 
French,  and  in  identical 
terms. 

Done  at  Addis-Ababa  this 
seventeenth  day  of  December, 
one  thousand  eight  hundred 


Article  VT. 

La  dur^e  du  prt^sent  traits 
sera  de  dix  ann^es.  II  est 
entendu  qu'a  I'expiration  des 
dix  anndes  les  deux  Gouverne- 
ments  pourront  modifier  tout 
ou  partie  de  ce  traits.  Celui 
des  deux  Gouvernements  qui 
demandera  a  ce  moment  une 
modification  devra  en  faire 
la  proposition  a  I'autre  Gou- 
vernement  une  annt^e  avant 
I'expiration  du  traits. 


Article  VII. 

Ce  present  traits  entrera 
en  vigueur  s'il  est  ratifi^  par 
le  Gouvernement  des  J&tats- 
Unis,  et  si  cette  ratification 
est  signifi^e  a  Sa  Majeste 
Menilek  II.,  Eoi  des  Eois 
d'Ethiopie,  dans  le  d^lai  d'une 
ann^e. 

Sa  Majesty  Menilek  II., 
Roi  des  Eois  d'Ethiopie,  au 
nom  de  Son  Empire,  et 
Eobert  P.  Skinner,  en  vertu  de 
ses  pleins  pouvoirs,  au  nom 
des  Etats-Unis  d'Amerique, 
ont  signe  le  present  traits, 
redigd  en  double  texte,  Am- 
harigua  et  Fran9ais,  en  tout 
semblables. 

Fait  a  Addis-Ababa  le  dix- 
sept  Decembre,  mil  huit  cent 
quatre  vingt  seize  de  I'an  de 


APPENDIX  C  227 

and  ninety-six,  in  the  year    grace   (correspondant  au  27 
of    grace    (corresponding    to    Decembre,  1903). 
December  27,  1903). 

[Seal  of  Menelik  XL] 
(Signed)       Robert  P.  Skinner. 

And  whereas  it  is  provided  by  the  said  treaty  that  it  shall 
take  effect  *  if  ratified  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  and  if  this  ratification  shall  be  notified  to  His 
Majesty  King  Menelik  II.,  King  of  Kings  of  Ethiopia,  within 
the  period  of  one  year  '; 

And  whereas  the  said  treaty  has  been  duly  ratified  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States  of  America,  and  notification  of  such 
ratification  was  given  to  His  Majesty  Menelik  II.,  King  of 
Kings  of  Ethiopia,  on  the  second  day  of  August,  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  four ; 

Now,  therefore,  be  it  known  that  I,  Theodore  Roosevelt, 
President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  have  caused  the 
said  treaty  to  be  made  public,  to  the  end  that  the  same  and 
every  article  and  clause  thereof  may  be  observed  and  fulfilled 
with  good  faith  by  the  United  States  and  the  citizens  thereof. 

In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand,  and 
caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  of  America  to  be  affixed. 

Done  at  the  City  of  Washington  this  thirtieth  day  of 
September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  four,  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States  of  America  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-ninth. 

[seal]  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

By  the  President : 

Francis  B.  Loomis, 

Acting -Secretary  of  State. 


BILLIKO   AND  SON'S,    LTD.,    PRINTERS,   OCILDFORD 


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